Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in post-burn Adult Survivors: A Cross-sectional Four Years of Experience Study from Cyprus.

Abstract

Burn injuries have a significant impact on various aspects of survivors' lives. This study evaluates, assesses, and interprets the health-related quality of life in post-burn adult survivors. Of 135 patients admitted from 2019 to 2023 in the burns intensive care unit, 70 responded to a questionnaire. Primary socio-demographic data and details about the cause and extent of burns were collected. A brief (EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Levels) EQ-5D-5L questionnaire was completed by interviewing burn survivors, and data were then analysed. The mean age of participants was 52.12 years, and the prevalent gender was males (61.4%). Thermal burns were the most common cause of burn-related injury (91.4%)-most subjects (57.1%) suffered from partial-thickness burns, followed by full-thickness burns affecting 40.0%. The most presented percentage of Total Body Surface Area (%TBSA) burned was 1-10%, accounting for 60% of cases. The most required hospitalization timeframe was 1-5 days. Regarding participants' Quality of Life (QoL), most reported no problem in the five health dimensions. The health dimensions that were mainly affected were depression/anxiety followed by pain/discomfort. All participants' mean EQ-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) score was 80.98. Our findings disclose a compromised health-related quality of life for post-burn individuals, particularly in dimensions of depression/anxiety followed by pain/discomfort. There is a pressing need to establish long-term support for burn survivors by relevant organisations.