Scald Burns While Bathing Among Elderly People in Japan

Abstract

Night baths are an essential and beloved tradition in Japanese households. The main purpose of taking a bath at the end of the day, besides hygiene, is relaxation. The aging population is rapidly growing in Japan, as one in three people are approaching the age of 65 years or older. Furthermore, with the progress of nuclear families, the number of households with only elderly people and the need for elderly care is increasing. In recent years, elderly people experienced burns caused by hot water during bathing. We report two cases of water bath burns experienced by elderly people. The first is a case of a 68-year-old woman who presented with a history of type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis in both knees. She did not notice that the bath stopper was unplugged while she was taking a bath, and she added hot water at around 44°C. She was exposed to hot fluid on the right foot and suffered deep dermal burns. However, due to knee osteoarthritis, it became difficult for her to move. Two hours after taking a bath, she was removed from the bathtub. The second is a case of a 71-year-old woman who presented with a history of type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis in both knees. Because the temperature of the bath was approximately 44°C, she tried to cool down the water, but it was difficult for her to move because of knee osteoarthritis. She called out for help from her family living in the neighborhood, but she could not get out. She was sitting for about 2 hours before being noticed by her family. As a result, she suffered second-degree burns on both the buttocks and soles of her feet. Prolonged exposure to thermal liquids and burns such as low-temperature burns are caused by individual factors, such as decreased perception, orthopedic disease, and difficulty in moving due to fainting, and social factors such as delay in discovery in elderly people living alone. These factors lead to an increased depth of the burn.