Copyright © American Burn Association. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
e166
Burn injuries are commonly reported in the pedi-
atric population worldwide and are a global health
concern.
1
One of the most devastating injuries,
particularly in a child, burn injury results in a pro-
longed hypermetabolic and hyperinflammatory state
that can last for years.
2
Between the years of 1994
and 2003, pediatric burn-related injuries resulted in
10,229 hospitalizations and 494 deaths in Canada.
3
Burn injury was the sixth leading cause of mortality
under the age of 19 in the US in 2009 and resulted
in over 119,000 emergency department visits.
4
Fur-
thermore, burns have become a leading cause of dis-
ability and disfigurement worldwide for individuals
of all ages.
5
Over the past 60 years, advancements in
medical care have resulted in a substantially increased
survival rate for burn patients. In 1949, a young
adult with a 40% total BSA (TBSA) burn had a mor-
tality rate of approximately 50%. Currently, an 80%
TBSA burn has the same mortality rate.
6
As a result,
research into burn injury has also evolved and begun
to include not only the acute care, etiologies, and
epidemiology of burns but also the physical and psy-
chosocial health outcomes that follow.
6–8
Copyright © 2015 by the American Burn Association
1559-047X/2015
DOI: 10.1097/BCR.0000000000000323
Limited research exists examining long-term mental and physical health outcomes in adult
survivors of pediatric burns. The authors examine the postinjury lifetime prevalence of
common mental and physical disorders in a large pediatric burn cohort and compare the
results with matched controls. Seven hundred and forty five survivors of childhood burns
identified in the Burn Registry (<18 years old and total BSA >1% between April 1,
1988 and March 31, 2010) were matched 1:5 to the general population based on age
at time of injury (index date), sex, and geographic residence. Postinjury rate ratio
(RR) was used to compare burn cases and control cohorts for common mental and
physical illnesses through physician billings, and hospital claims. RR was adjusted for
sex, rural residence, and income. Compared with matched controls, postburn cases had
significantly higher RR of all mental disorders, which remained significant (P < .05)
after adjustment (major depression RR = 1.5 [confidence limit {CL}: 1.2–1.8], anxiety
disorder RR = 1.5 [CL: 1.3–1.8), substance abuse RR = 2.3 [CL: 1.7–3.2], suicide
attempt RR = 4.3 [CL: 1.6–12.1], or any mental disorder RR = 1.5 [CL: 1.3–1.8]). The
relative rate of some physical illnesses was also significantly increased in burn survivors:
arthritis RR = 1.2 (CL: 1.1–1.4), fractures RR = 1.4 (CL: 1.2–1.6), total respiratory
morbidity RR = 1.1 (CL: 1.02–1.3), and any physical illness RR = 1.2 (CL: 1.1–1.3).
Adult survivors of childhood burn injury have significantly increased rates of postburn
mental and physical illnesses. Screening and appropriate management of these illnesses
is essential when caring for this population. (J Burn Care Res 2016;37:e166–e173)
From the *Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,
Canada; †Manitoba Firefighters Burn Unit, Winnipeg, Canada;
‡Manitoba Center for Health Policy, §Department of Psychiatry,
Faculty of Medicine, and ║Department of Surgery, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Address correspondence to Sarvesh Logsetty, MD, Manitoba
Firefighters Burn Unit, GC 401, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada, R3A 1R9. Email: Logsetty@cc.umanitoba.ca.
Role of the Sponsors: The funding source had no role in the design
and conduct of the study; the collection, management, analysis,
and interpretation of data; and the preparation, review, and
approval of the manuscript.
Disclaimer: The results and conclusions are those of the authors, and
no official endorsement by Manitoba Health is intended or should
be inferred.
Additional Contributions: We are indebted to Manitoba Health
for providing data (Health Information Privacy Committee
2013/2014 - 13).
Outcomes in Adult Survivors of Childhood Burn
Injuries as Compared with Matched Controls
James Stone, BSc (Hons),* Justin P. Gawaziuk, MSc,†‡ Sazzadul Khan, PhD,‡
Dan Chateau, PhD,‡ James M. Bolton, MD,§ Jitender Sareen, MD,§
Jessica Enns, BSc,* Malcolm Doupe, PhD,‡ Marni Brownell, PhD,‡
and Sarvesh Logsetty, MD†║
ORIGINAL ARTICLE