Evaluating effects of burn injury characteristics on quality of life in pediatric burn patients and caregivers

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate pediatric burn patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life (QoL), while identifying clinical characteristics correlated with psychological stress.MethodsPediatric burn patients at an ABA-verified institution from November 2019-January 2021 were included. Caregivers of patients 0–4 years completed the Infant’s Dermatology QoL Index (IDQOL). Patients> 4–16 years completed the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). The Short Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT) measured caregivers’ stress. Generalized linear mixed models evaluated associations between assessment scores and burn characteristics.ResultsOverall, 27.3% (39/143) of IDQOL and 53.1.% (41/96) of CDLQI scores indicated that patients’ burns caused moderate to extremely large effects on QoL. In caregivers, 4.5% (7/159) scored> 14 on the SPRINT, warranting further PTSD evaluation. For the IDQOL, each additional 1% TBSA burn was associated with a 2.75-point increase (p = 0.05), and patients sustaining 2nd degree deep partial thickness burns scored an average of 3.3 points higher compared to 2nd degree superficial partial thickness burns (P < 0.01). CLDQI and SPRINT scores demonstrated a similar pattern.ConclusionsQoL is impacted in a substantial proportion of pediatric burn patients. Larger TBSA and increased burn depths cause significantly more psychological stress in children, and caregivers may require more extensive psychological evaluation.