Comparison of long-term quality of life of pediatric burn survivors with and without inhalation injury.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the long-term quality of life of pediatric burn survivors with and without inhalation injuries. We hypothesized that patients with inhalation injury would report more disability and lower quality of life.

METHODS:

We examined 51 patients with inhalation injury and 72 without inhalation injury who had burns of ≥10% total body surface area, were age ≥16 years at time of the interview, and were greater than 5 years from injury. Subjects completed the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale II (WHODAS II) and the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B). Multiple regression analyses were used to measure the effects of inhalation injury while controlling for age at burn and TBSA.

RESULTS:

The mean age of burn of participants with inhalation injury was 11.7±3.6 years, mean TBSA 55%±18, and mean ventilator days 8.4±9. The mean age of burn of participants without inhalation injury was 10.3±34.1 years, mean TBSA 45%±20, and mean ventilator days 1.3±5.2. Inhalation injury did not appear to significantly impact participants' scores on the majority of the domains. The WHODAS II domain of household activities showed a significant relation with TBSA (p=0.01). Increased size of burn was associated with difficulty completing tasks for both groups. The BSHS-B domain of treatment regimen showed a relation with age at burn (p=0.02). Increased age was associated difficulty in this area for both groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Overall the groups were comparable in their reports of disability and quality of life. Inhalation injury did not affect long-term quality of life.

• Authors: Marta Rosenberg, Maribel Ramirez, Kathy Epperson, Lisa Richardson, Charles Holzer 3rd, Clark R Andersen, David N Herndon, Walter Meyer 3rd, Oscar E Suman, Ronald Mlcak
• Journal: Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries (Burns) Vol. 41 Issue 4 Pg. 721-6 (Jun 2015) ISSN: 1879-1409 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 25670250 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living
• Adolescent
• Body Surface Area
• Burns (physiopathology, psychology, therapy)
• Case-Control Studies
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Health Status
• Humans
• Length of Stay
• Linear Models
• Longitudinal Studies
• Male
• Mobility Limitation
• Prospective Studies
• Quality of Life (psychology)
• Respiration, Artificial
• Smoke Inhalation Injury (physiopathology, psychology, therapy)
• Social Adjustment
• Social Participation
• Survivors (psychology)
• Young Adult