Burn Incidence and Treatment in the U. S. Fact Sheet

National Estimates of the Number of Burn Injuries and Claims 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) categorizes two types of burn injuries, which may not be mutually exclusive. They reported 398,000 fire or burn-related injuries in 2021, along with 252,000 injuries related to hot objects or substances (e.g., contact burns). 

Source: CDC, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2021  (accessed January 2024) 

A claims-based analysis from 2020 reported 698,555 burn-related insurance claims. This figure included an immeasurable number of duplicated visits (i.e., the same patient being seen multiple times in the same year). This number should not be viewed as 698,555 unique patients but instead as 698,555 interactions with the health system for persons with acute burn injuries. 

Source: Ivanko, et al., The Burden of Burns: An Analysis of Public Health Measures, Journal of Burn Care & Research, Volume 45, Issue 5, September/October 2024, Pages 1095–1097  

National Hospital Burn Admissions Per Year: 29,165 

According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS), the 29,165 burn admissions per year (weighted estimates) represent 88.5 admissions per million lives per year. 

• 795 inpatient deaths (mortality 2.7%) 

• Minor injuries not requiring surgery: 15,280 (52.4%) admissions; inpatient mortality 0.36% 

• Extensive burns requiring surgery and prolonged ventilation: 1,290 (4.4%) admissions; inpatient mortality 17.8% 

• Deep burns requiring surgery without prolonged ventilation: 9,340 (32%); mortality 2.6% 

Burn centers are not labeled in the NIS; however, 94 hospitals admitted at least 100 burn encounters per year and accounted for 81% of all burn admissions and had a median burn admission/year of 203 (interquartile range 140, 305).   

Additional details: 

• Admissions peak May–August (37.5% of yearly total during 33.3% of the year).) 

• South Atlantic region had the most admissions (26%), New England the fewest (3%) 

• Demographics: 33.3% female; 57.1% White non-Hispanic; 19.6% Black non-Hispanic; 14.5% Hispanic of any race; 2.6% Asian/Pacific Islander; 0.8% Native American 

• Payor Mix: 20.1% Medicare; 33.3% Medicaid; 26.6% private/commercial; 10.2% uninsured/self-payer 

• Median Age: pediatric patients — 3 years (IQR 1–8); adults — 49 years (IQR 33–62) 

Source: 2020 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project HCUP/National Inpatient Sample data  (accessed January 2024; all figures are weighted for national estimates; includes burn centers and non-burn centers)