Parent-Reported Burn-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life in Children 5-7 Years After Burns: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Surviving a burn can dramatically alter a child's life, yet few studies examined long-term health-related quality of life (HRQL). This study assessed HRQL 5-7 years post-burn in children with mild/intermediate and severe burns and identified associated factors. Parents of children (5- < 18 years) who were hospitalized or had burn surgery between 08/2011 and 09/2012 completed the Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ). Outcomes were compared between two subgroups: children with mild/intermediate burns (<10% total body surface area (TBSA) burned) versus severe burns ((1) aged <10 years old at the time of injury with >10% (TBSA) burned; (2) aged ≥10 years with >20% TBSA burned; or (3) >5% full-thickness burns). A total of 102 children were included (mean age at survey: 8.4 (3.0) years; mean former TBSA: 7.1%). At a mean of 5.7 years post-burn, many parents rated their child's health as excellent (46.1%) or very good (35.3%), with few reporting issues with 'pain' (2.3%), 'physical function and sports' (1.6%), and 'upper extremity function' (0.9%). Parents of children with severe burns indicated significantly more problems with 'appearance' (89.2% versus 71.5%;