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Influence of body mass index on skin grafting in pediatric burns

Nicole E Sharp1, Priscilla G Thomas1, Ashley K Sherman1

  • 1The Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA.

Burns : Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
|August 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Underweight children with burns face higher skin grafting needs, while overweight children show a reduced requirement. This study clarifies body mass index impacts on pediatric burn treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Burn Care
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) Research
  • Grafting Utilization Studies

Background:

  • Existing literature on body mass index (BMI) and burn outcomes in children is inconsistent.
  • This study investigates the relationship between standardized pediatric BMI categories and skin graft utilization in burn patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of pediatric BMI categories on burn outcomes.
  • To determine if body habitus influences the need for skin grafting in pediatric burn patients.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients treated for burns between January 1995 and November 2011.
  • Categorization of Body Mass Index (BMI) using standard definitions: underweight (<5th percentile), normal (5th-85th percentile), overweight (85th-95th percentile), and obese (>95th percentile).

Main Results:

  • Analysis included 1164 pediatric patients: 77 underweight, 604 normal weight, 215 overweight, and 268 obese.
  • Underweight children had a nearly twofold increased risk of full-thickness burns and were 1.8 times more likely to require skin grafting.
  • Overweight children showed a 23% decrease in skin grafting incidence compared to normal weight children, with no significant differences in Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burned or grafted.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric burn patients who are underweight have a significantly higher likelihood of requiring skin grafting.
  • Mildly overweight pediatric burn patients appear to have a protective effect against the need for skin grafting.
Abstract

Keywords:
BMIBody mass indexBurnChildrenSkin graft

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