Major concerns and issues in burn survivors in Australia

Return-to-employment for working-aged adults after burn injury: A mixed methods scoping review

BACKGROUND

This scoping review aimed to identify the barriers, facilitators and benefits of returning to work following burn injury, outcome measures used, management strategies, and models of care.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive overview about working-aged adults returning to their preinjury employment after burn injury.

METHODS

We followed a pre-determined scoping review protocol to search MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, CCRCT and CDSR databases between 2000 to December 2023. Papers reporting primary data from previously employed adults with cutaneous burn injuries were included.

RESULTS

In all, 90 articles met the review criteria. Return-to-work was both an outcome goal and process of recovery from burn injury. Physical and psychological impairments were identified barriers. Job accommodations and modifications were important for supporting the transition from hospital to workplace. Employment status and quality of life sub-scales were used to measure return-to-work.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent definitions of work and measurements of return-to-employment after burn injury are priorities for future research. Longitudinal studies are more likely to capture the complexity of the return-to-employment process, its impact on work participation and changes in employment over time. The social context of work may assist or hinder return-to-work more than physical environmental constraints. Equitable vocational support systems would help address disparities in vocational rehabilitation services available after burn injury.

Upper extremity functions, social relationships, and factors associated with poor quality of life in patients with burns at kiruddu hospital

OBJECT

Burn is the major cause of disability in developing countries, and most burn patients have burns involving the upper limbs. Upper limb burns can result in scarring, contractures, and weakness, leading to limitation of wide range of movements and social well-being, hence reducing the quality of life. General objective: To determine the quality of life among patients with burns of the upper limbs at KNRH.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited 108 participants of 5 years and above during their first six months post-discharge from Kiruddu National Referral Hospital with burns to upper limbs. Recruitment was consecutive from the burns unit clinic following ethical approval from the School of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (SOMREC). Participants were given a burn-related QOL questionnaire. Data were then entered into Epidata 4.2 and imported into STATA 15.1 for analysis. Factors associated with poor quality of life were determined by modified Poisson regression to generate prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

A total of 108 participants were recruited for the study; 97 (89.8%) were adults and responded to the adult QOL questionnaire, while the rest were pediatrics. The mean age of the adults was 28 years (SD=8.6), while the median age of the pediatrics was eight years (IQR=6-10), and 61.1% were male. The upper extremity function (physical) quality of life was good, while the social relationship quality of life was poor. The factors associated with poor quality of life were degree (deep) of burns, multiple surgeries, age above 55 years, and being divorced.

CONCLUSIONS

There is generally poor upper extremity function or physical QOL among adults and children, while there is generally good social relationship QOL among adults and children.

Effect of Telenursing and Face-to-Face Training Techniques on Quality of Life in Burn Patients: A Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of telenursing and face-to-face training on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with a burn injury.

DESIGN

This clinical trial with pretest-posttest design on 3 groups was conducted in Kermanshah, Iran, from 2017 to 2018. Convenience sampling was used.

SETTING

A tertiary hospital in Kermanshah, west of Iran.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 90 patients with burns of grade 2 and 3 after discharge from the hospital were randomly assigned to 3 groups including telenursing (30), face-to-face training (30), and control (30).

INTERVENTIONS

Each intervention group received 1-on-1 telephone training and face-to-face training in 8 sessions (2 sessions of 15 to 20min/wk). The control group received regular care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

QOL was evaluated by the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B).

RESULTS

The mean BSHS-B scores before and after intervention for telenursing, face-to-face, and the control group were 71.43±21.92 and 133.06±11.97; 64.83±26.16 and 124.83±23.05; and 58.63±20.89 and 73.13±33.04, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference among the 3 groups with respect to the training methods after intervention (P<.001). In addition, post hoc test did not show a significant difference between the telenursing and face-to-face groups (P=.244).

CONCLUSIONS

Educational methods in the form of telenursing and face-to-face training were effective and promoted QOL in survivors of burn injuries. Both telenursing and face-to-face training can be used to improve the QOL of survivors of burn injuries during the rehabilitation phase.

Health related quality of life in adults after burn injuries: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQL) is essential to qualify the subjective burden of burns in survivors. We performed a systematic review of HRQL studies in adult burn patients to evaluate study design, instruments used, methodological quality, and recovery patterns.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed. Relevant databases were searched from the earliest record until October 2016. Studies examining HRQL in adults after burn injuries were included. Risk of bias was scored using the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool.

RESULTS

Twenty different HRQL instruments were used among the 94 included studies. The Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) (46%), the Short Form-36 (SF-36) (42%) and the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D) (9%) were most often applied. Most domains, both mentally and physically orientated, were affected shortly after burns but improved over time. The lowest scores were reported for the domains 'work' and 'heat sensitivity' (BSHS-B), 'bodily pain', 'physical role limitations' (SF-36), and 'pain/discomfort' (EQ-5D) in the short-term and for 'work' and 'heat sensitivity', 'emotional functioning' (SF-36), 'physical functioning' and 'pain/discomfort' in the long-term. Risk of bias was generally low in outcome measurement and high in study attrition.

CONCLUSION

Consensus on preferred validated methodologies of HRQL measurement in burn patients would facilitate comparability across studies, resulting in improved insights in recovery patterns and better estimates of HRQL after burns. We recommend to develop a guideline on the measurement of HRQL in burns. Five domains representing a variety of topics had low scores in the long-term and require special attention in the aftermath of burns.