Citation

Koljonen V, Laitila M, Sintonen H, Roine RP. Burns 2013; 39(3): 451-457.

Affiliation

Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki Finland, P.O. Box 266, 00029 HUS, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: virve.koljonen@hus.fi.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.burns.2012.07.024

PMID

23313018

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has gained increasing interest as an important indicator of adaptation after a burn injury. Our objective was to compare HRQoL of medium severity hospitalized burn victims with no need for intensive care treatment with that of the general population. METHODS: The 15D HRQoL questionnaire at discharge, and 6, 12 and 24 months thereafter. RESULTS: 44 patients filled in the baseline questionnaire between June 2007 and December 2009. At discharge the mean (SD) HRQoL score (on a scale of 0-1) of the patients was worse in comparison with that of the general population (0.839 (0.125) vs. 0.936 (0.071)), p<0.001. The most striking differences (p<0.001) were seen on the dimensions of sleeping, usual activities, discomfort and symptoms, and sexual activity. At the 2-year follow-up the mean HRQoL score had increased from 0.835 (0.121) to 0.856 (0.149), but the difference was not statistically significant. Of the dimensions, moving and usual activities improved statistically significantly. CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL of patients hospitalized for treatment of burns is, at discharge, compromised compared with that of the general population. During follow-up HRQoL showed slight improvement but remained at a clearly lower level.

Language: en