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Published on: February 23, 2024
Massage Therapy Utilization in Pediatric Acute Burns: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Ben Reader1, Deborah Zerkle1, Renata Fabia2,3
1Division of Clinical Therapies, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Insights
Massage therapy (MT) can reduce pain and improve relaxation in pediatric burn patients. However, access to MT is limited by factors like weekend admissions and short hospital stays, requiring targeted interventions to improve its availability.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Care
- Complementary Therapies
- Psychological Support in Medicine
Background:
- Patient-centered care for pediatric burns encompasses psychological well-being, including stress, pain, and anxiety management.
- Massage therapy (MT) is explored as a novel intervention for acute pediatric burn injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utilization of massage therapy in children with acute burns.
- To evaluate the impact of massage therapy on pain and relaxation in pediatric burn patients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of 198 pediatric patients with thermal injuries was conducted.
- Data included demographics, injury characteristics, and massage therapy variables.
- Logistic regression analyzed factors influencing MT provision, such as age, length of stay, and total body surface area.
Main Results:
- 13.6% of eligible patients received 43 MT sessions, with common burn types including scalds, flame, and contact injuries.
- 75% of patients with pre-massage pain reported relief, and 95.3% experienced improved contentment, relaxation, or comfort post-therapy.
- Barriers to MT included patient sleep, being off-unit, or concurrent healthcare provider involvement; patients receiving MT had a longer median length of stay.
Conclusions:
- Massage therapy shows potential value in reducing pain and promoting relaxation for pediatric burn patients.
- Weekend admissions and short hospital stays were associated with missed MT opportunities.
- Improving access to MT requires addressing barriers through enhanced weekend resources, provider education, and better patient readiness assessment.
Background:
Patient-centered burn care extends beyond physical treatment to incorporate the management of the psychological impacts including stress, pain, and anxiety. This study explores the novel application of massage therapy (MT) in children with acute burns, assessing utilization and impact on pain and relaxation.
Methods:
A retrospective review of 198 children with thermal injury admitted to an American Burn Association-verified pediatric burn center between January 2022 and July 2023 was conducted, excluding those requiring intensive care admission. Demographics, injury details, and MT variables were summarized using descriptive statistics. A logistic regression explored the impact of age, length of stay (LOS), and total body surface area on MT provision.
Results:
All patients received MT consultation, with 13.6% of patients (n = 27) undergoing 43 MT sessions, with a median duration of 25.0 min. Common burn mechanisms in the MT group were scalds (55.6%), flame (22.2%), and contact (14.8%) burns. Of patients reporting pain pre-massage, 75.0% experienced pain relief, and 95.3% were content, relaxed or resting comfortably post-intervention. Barriers to MT included patients being asleep (42.1%), off the unit (33.7%), or attended to by other health-care providers (21.1%). Patients receiving MT had a longer median LOS compared to those who did not (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
MT is potentially valuable for children admitted with acute burns, reducing pain and promoting relaxation. However, patients admitted on weekends and with short admissions frequently missed MT treatment. Addressing barriers through additional weekend resources, provider education, and increased awareness of patient readiness for sessions may improve access to MT.
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