Evaluating Burn Recovery Outcomes in Children With Neurodevelopmental Symptoms

Neurodevelopmental symptoms (NS) including attention and behavioral problems, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and learning problems are prevalent in children with burn injuries. The presence of NS may predispose children to poorer burn injury recovery outcomes compared to children without these symptoms (non-NS). The Multicenter Benchmarking Study (MCBS) monitored recovery outcomes in children with burn injuries in real time using the Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ). The objective of this study was to retrospectively assess the long-term burn recovery outcomes in NS patients vs non-NS patients from the MCBS population. This study assessed parent-reported BOQ outcomes in a sample of 563 patients aged 5 to 18 years who were admitted for burn injuries to a pediatric burn center. A subsample of patients had reported NS (n = 181). Analyses compared BOQ outcomes within the NS subsample and the non-NS subsample (n = 382) across three longitudinal points postdischarge. The prevalence rate of NS was 32.1% in the full sample. Findings revealed statistically significant improvement in the recovery curves in all five BOQ subscales for the non-NS group and all subscales except for Compliance for the NS group across all longitudinal points. When compared to non-NS patients, NS patients had significantly poorer burn recovery outcomes on the Satisfaction and Compliance subscales. Although it is important to educate all clinicians, parents, and children on burn prevention efforts, targeted education is necessary for children with NS because they may be at greater risk for burn injury as well as worse recovery outcomes.