Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2023; 50(03): 305-310
DOI: 10.1055/a-2040-0826
Extremity/Lymphedema
Original Article

An Etiology Report for Burns Caused by Korean Folk Remedies

Hong Sil Joo 
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hanil General Hospital, Seoul, Korea
,
Hyun Been Kim 
1   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hanil General Hospital, Seoul, Korea
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Abstract

Background In this modern era of science-based medicine, some people still accept folk remedies as an alternative form of medicine. However, misinformation and misuse of folk medicines can result in dangerous complications. Among the possible complications of folk remedy use, this study focused on the clinical characteristics of burns caused by folk remedies.

Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients who had been treated for burns caused by folk remedies from May 2015 to April 2022. Data were collected on patients' age and gender, type of folk remedy, reason for using the folk remedy, the severity of the burn, the number of wounds, lesion type, and type of treatment.

Results We found 59 patients with burns due to folk remedies. Most were female (76.3%) and ≥ 60 years old (72.9%). The most common type of folk remedy was moxibustion (74.6%), followed by the use of glacial acetic acid (20.3%). The reasons for using folk remedies were arthralgia relief (39%), health improvement (18.6%), and treatment of tinea pedis (11.9%). Most patients had multiple wound sites and had burns that were considered severe, requiring surgical treatment (72.9%). The majority of lesions were on the lower extremity, including the foot.

Conclusion This study described the risk of burns caused by folk remedies and the clinical characteristics of the wounds. The results emphasize the need for greater public awareness of the risk of burn injuries when using folk remedies.

Keywords

burns - folk remedies - glacial acid - moxibustion

Authors' Contributions

Conceptualization, writing original draft, writing, review, and editing: H.S.J.


Data curation and project administration: H.B.K.


Formal analysis: H.S.J.


Methodology and validation: H.S.J. and H.B.K.


Supervision: H.S.J.


Patient Consent

Written patient consent was obtained for publication and academic purpose.


Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the local ethics committee of Hanil General Hospital (IRB no: HGH-2022–08–008) and complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and its amendments.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 21. Oktober 2022

Angenommen: 15. Februar 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
21. Februar 2023

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
29. Mai 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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