• Kelli N Patterson, Tariku J Beyene, Katherine Lehman, Sarah N VerLee, Dana Schwartz, Renata Fabia, and Rajan K Thakkar.
• Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
• Burns. 2023 Sep 1; 49 (6): 131113201311-1320.

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.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Burns Injuries. All rights reserved.

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