• Marta Rosenberg, Neha Mehta, Laura Rosenberg, Maribel Ramirez, Walter J Meyer, David N Herndon, Clark R Andersen, and Christopher Thomas.
• Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. Electronic address: marosenb@utmb.edu.
• Burns. 2015 Dec 1; 41 (8): 1823-30.

ObjectiveTo compare psychological difficulties experienced during the initial acute hospitalization and the last follow up visit for children with electrical injuries (EI) and children without electrical injuries (non-EI). We hypothesized that children with electrical burns would have different psychological outcomes.MethodsThis retrospective study compared emotional and cognitive functioning of EI patients and a matched group of survivors of other burns.ResultsMedical records of 67 patients with and without EI were reviewed. For the EI group, the mean age at injury was 12.6±3.9 years, the mean age at follow up was 15.5±4.6 years, and mean TBSA 32±21%. For the Non-EI group, the mean age at injury was 12.4±3.9 years, the mean age at follow up was 14.5±4.7 years, and mean TBSA 32±21.5%. During the acute hospitalization, a significant difference was found between the groups in the area of neuropathic pain (Chi-square tests p<0.011). Individuals with EI were more likely to have acute stress disorder/post-traumatic stress disorder as well as amnesia of the accident than the controls; however, this did not reach statistical significance. No differences were found between the groups in other psychological areas. Follow up information from the last documented psychology/psychiatric visit revealed an equal number of patients experienced anxiety disorders, depression, grief, behavioral problems, and cognitive difficulties.ConclusionsSome differences were evident between the groups immediately after injury; however, long term outcomes were similar.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

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