A Pediatric Burn Outpatient Short Stay Program Decreases Patient Length of Stay With Equivalent Burn Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Pediatric burn management
• Outpatient care innovations
• Wound healing technologies

Background:

• Traditional management of small pediatric burns involves inpatient admission and frequent dressing changes.
• This approach can lead to prolonged hospital stays and discomfort for young patients.
• The development of effective outpatient strategies is crucial for improving pediatric burn care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an outpatient short stay (OSS) program on pediatric burn management.
• To compare outcomes and resource utilization before and after the implementation of the OSS program.
• To assess patient and family satisfaction with the new outpatient burn care model.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of pediatric burn cases before (2009-2010) and after (2013-2014) the OSS program implementation.
• Exclusion criteria included burns > 15% total body surface area (TBSA), polytrauma, and age > 10 years.
• Statistical analysis using independent t tests and chi-square tests compared demographics, management, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• The post-OSS group showed a significantly shorter inpatient length of stay (2.93 vs 5.21 days) and fewer dressing changes (2.32 vs 4.71).
• No significant differences were observed in readmission rates or the need for grafting.
• A trend towards fewer infectious complications and reoperations was noted in the post-OSS group, with high patient and family satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The OSS program effectively reduced inpatient length of stay and the frequency of painful dressing changes for pediatric burn patients.
• This model of care achieved comparable or superior burn outcomes compared to traditional inpatient management.
• The OSS program represents a successful and patient-centered approach to managing small pediatric burns.