New Research Calls For Improved Pediatric Burn Care Infrastructure Nationwide

The UCI Health Regional Burn Center is 1 of nan only pain centers successful Orange County equipped to dainty nan astir analyzable pain patients 24 hours a day, including children.

Orange County is not unsocial successful that specified centers are fewer and acold between. That is simply a awesome problem, opportunity experts successful a reappraisal insubstantial co-authored by Dr. James C. Jeng, a trauma, pain and captious attraction surgeon astatine UCI Health.

In its existent state, nan United States is not prepared for a wide disaster pinch aggregate pain casualties, says nan paper.

Gaps successful nan readiness of mundane pain attraction for children must beryllium addressed earlier it will beryllium considered ready.

"Current position of U.S. children's pain attraction and opportunities for change" was published in The Annals of Surgery Open in January 2026.

An uneven network

"The existent strategy is an uneven web pinch varying accomplishment levels, resources and access," nan authors state.

Children person attraction for burns successful a scope of settings, from verified pain centers to acute attraction hospitals that supply pain care. Fewer than 40 of nan 75 American Burn Association-verified programs are verified for pediatrics.

The authors authorities that ambiance alteration and nan threat of nuclear, biologic and different disasters has heightened nan request to understand this web amended to hole it for a large-scale pain casualty event.

To place these gaps, they convened an in-person children's pain inaugural to:

• Improve nan knowing of wherever regular and master pain attraction is delivered successful nan United States
• Define gaps successful children's pain care, including successful nan emergency attraction system
• Anticipate a scheme of action and strategy for implementation

The group will meet again successful a twelvemonth to reappraisal progress.

'Children are not mini adults'

A superior pain for an big is not nan aforesaid arsenic it would beryllium for a child.

Children are not mini adults. Burns impact their growth, improvement and their semipermanent value of life."

Dr. Syed F. Saquib, UCI Health Regional Burn Center Medical Director 

ABA-verified pain centers specified arsenic nan 1 astatine UCI Health, nan county's first, person nan resources and expertise to springiness pediatric pain patients age-specific, family-centered attraction from wounded done recovery. It is besides nan only pain halfway successful nan region affiliated pinch an world wellness strategy starring innovative research.

In 2025, location were 153 pediatric pain visits, which astir evenly divided betwixt children who could return location and those who required inpatient care.

Children, which relationship for much than 1 successful 4 pain cases astatine UCI Health, are astir commonly injured by:

• Scalds (67%): basking liquids, bathwater, soups aliases drinks
• Contact (22%): basking surfaces, appliances aliases tools
• Flame (6%): fires, unfastened flame

Jeng is besides a professor successful nan Division of Trauma, Burns, Surgical Critical Care successful nan Department of Surgery astatine nan UC Irvine School of Medicine.