Journal of Burn Care & Research最新文献

{"title":"Multidisciplinary Evaluation of the Physician Assistant Role in an American Burn Association-Verified Burn Centre in Canada.","authors":"Kristine Laing, Ashley Callahan, Dee Naidu, Stephanie A Mason, David L Wallace, Alan D Rogers","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Physician assistants are increasingly incorporated into acute care and surgical services, yet their role within specialized burn centres remains incompletely defined. Burn care is particularly resource-intensive, requiring continuity across resuscitation, critical care, surgery, rehabilitation, and longitudinal outpatient follow-up. Workforce pressures, including resident duty-hour restrictions, growing documentation burden, and limited specialist manpower, have heightened interest in durable advanced practice provider models. We conducted a multidisciplinary quality improvement survey at an American Burn Association-verified Canadian burn centre to evaluate staff understanding of the physician assistant role, perceived contributions to patient care and workflow, and priorities for future development. An anonymous 25-question electronic survey was distributed to physicians, trainees, nurses, allied health professionals, and administrative staff. Quantitative responses were summarized descriptively and free-text responses were analyzed thematically. Thirty-two of 63 eligible staff members responded (50.8%). Most interacted with the physician assistant daily or several times daily. Eighty-four percent supported continued employment, 50% supported hiring additional physician assistants, and 41% supported role expansion. Respondents perceived positive effects on continuity, physician workload, procedural availability, multidisciplinary efficiency, documentation, and mitigation of staffing gaps. Only 34% reported full awareness of the formal scope of practice, and overlap with residents and fellows was frequently identified. Free-text responses similarly emphasized continuity, accessibility, and procedural support, while calling for clearer role delineation and additional critical care training. These findings describe strong multidisciplinary support for the physician assistant role while identifying role clarity, structured competency development, and objective prospective evaluation as priorities for the next phase of implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148701278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impact of Dyschromic Burn Scar on Satisfaction with Appearance: A Burn Model System Study.","authors":"Tharun Potluri, Seung Woo Chung, Bonnie C Carney, Ilona Argirion","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Advances in acute burn care have substantially improved survival, shifting focus towards long-term complications of burn injury that affect quality of life. Hypertrophic scarring is common after burn injury and is often accompanied by dyschromia, a change in scar pigmentation relative to uninjured skin. Despite its visibility, the psychosocial impact of post-burn dyschromia remains poorly characterized. This study examined the relationship between dyschromia, scar thickness, and satisfaction with appearance in burn survivors using longitudinal data from a large, multi-center cohort. Data were obtained from participants enrolled in a national longitudinal burn outcomes database (Burn Model System) with follow-up through 24-months after hospital discharge. Dyschromia and the presence of raised or thick scar were assessed by patient self-report, and satisfaction with appearance was measured using a validated self-report scale. Multivariable logistic regression, survival analyses, and mixed-effects models were used to evaluate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations. Dyschromia was highly prevalent at discharge and strongly associated with raised or thick scar. Female sex and scar thickness were independently associated with reporting dyschromia. Among participants who identified as Black, raised or thick scar predicted both the presence of dyschromia and delayed resolution over time. Persistent dyschromia was associated with sustained dissatisfaction with appearance, while resolution of dyschromia coincided with improvements in satisfaction with appearance. Across models, scar thickness emerged as a consistent determinant of poor psychosocial outcomes. These findings highlight dyschromia as a clinically meaningful sequela of burn injury that is closely linked to fibrotic scar pathology and long-term satisfaction with appearance.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"miR-542-3p targets ATG7 to regulate viability and profibrotic marker expression in human keloid fibroblasts.","authors":"Ruihua Zhang, Jin Feng, Qianqian Zhang, Jie Zhao, Jia Liu, Yafeng Guo","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag129","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Keloids are characterized by persistent fibroblast activation and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. This study aimed to clarify the role of miR-542-3p in keloid fibroblasts and to determine whether ATG7 functions as a direct downstream mediator regulating fibroblast viability/apoptosis and profibrotic protein expression. Human keloid fibroblasts (HKFs) and human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) were used. miR-542-3p expression was quantified by RT-qPCR. HKFs were transfected with miR-542-3p mimic/inhibitor and corresponding negative controls. Cell viability was assessed using CCK-8, and apoptosis was evaluated by Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry. Protein levels of collagen I, collagen III and α-SMA were examined by western blotting. Direct targeting of ATG7 by miR-542-3p was tested using wild-type/mutant ATG7 3'-UTR dual-luciferase reporter assays. ATG7 knockdown (si-ATG7) and epistasis (miR-542-3p inhibitor ± si-ATG7) experiments were performed to assess functional dependency. miR-542-3p was significantly upregulated in HKFs compared with HSFs. miR-542-3p inhibition reduced HKF viability and increased apoptosis, whereas miR-542-3p overexpression showed the opposite trend. miR-542-3p positively regulated collagen I, collagen III and α-SMA protein levels. Dual-luciferase assays confirmed that miR-542-3p directly binds the ATG7 3'-UTR, and ATG7 protein abundance was inversely regulated by miR-542-3p. Functionally, ATG7 knockdown increased HKF viability and elevated profibrotic marker expression, and it attenuated the anti-fibrotic effects induced by miR-542-3p inhibition. miR-542-3p promotes a pro-survival, profibrotic phenotype in keloid fibroblasts by directly targeting ATG7. The miR-542-3p/ATG7 axis may represent a mechanistically supported candidate pathway for further investigation in keloid fibrosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Staged Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix and Meek Micrografting as a Donor-Sparing Strategy for Extensive Burn Injuries.","authors":"J Wise, D L Wallace, S A Mason, A D Rogers","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag128","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Definitive closure of extensive burns remains constrained by donor-site availability, particularly in patients with burns of 50% total body surface area (TBSA) or greater. Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix (BTM) can stabilize excised wounds while donor sites recover, whereas Meek micrografting permits controlled expansion of limited autologous skin. We retrospectively reviewed adult patients admitted between May 2022 and May 2025 with burns of 50% TBSA or greater who underwent BTM application followed by Meek micrografting as part of definitive wound-closure management. Demographic, injury, operative, and outcome variables were collected from electronic medical records, operative reports, anesthesia records, wound-care documentation, and clinical photography when available. Twelve patients were included. Mean age was 41.5 years, mean burn size was 63.1% TBSA, and mean Baux score was 104.6. All patients had inhalation injury and required tracheostomy. BTM was applied at a mean of 13.3 days after admission, and Meek micrografting was performed at a mean of 42.2 days. Mean TBSA covered by Meek micrografting was 32.5%, representing 50.6% of the burn surface. Operative efficiency improved from 15.2 to approximately 10.8 minutes per 1% TBSA covered over the study period. Clinically documented Meek graft take exceeded 90% in evaluable cases, no patient required secondary autografting of Meek-grafted BTM areas, and 11 of 12 survived to discharge or inpatient rehabilitation. Staged BTM followed by Meek micrografting is a feasible donor-sparing strategy for extensive burn closure that permits special-area prioritization, donor-site recovery, and efficient definitive coverage of large prepared wound surfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148697705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incident Reporting and Severity-Weighted Safety Learning in an Adult Regional Burn Center: A Five-Year Review.","authors":"Alan D Rogers, Ashley Callahan, Megan Hamilton","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag131","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Voluntary incident-reporting systems are widely used in hospitals, but their value depends on classification quality, review processes, linkage to complementary safety pathways, and translation into learning. Burn centers are vulnerable to fragmented safety intelligence because care spans resuscitation, critical care, surgery, wound management, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and outpatient follow-up. We reviewed institutional incident reports assigned to an adult regional burn center from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026. The dataset contained 1,418 reports. The most frequent categories were specimen or laboratory events, medication or fluid events, safety, security, or miscellaneous events, and pressure injuries. Harm level was not visible in structured form in 811 reports (57.2%). This absence was patterned: 546 of 547 specimen or laboratory reports and all 130 pressure-injury reports lacked visible structured harm classification. Pressure-injury stage or category was not reliably available in the analytic extract and was not imputed as a surrogate for harm. Among 607 reports with specified harm level, 16 were moderate and 4 severe. Severity-weighted review changed interpretation: infection prevention and control accounted for only 17 reports overall but 14 of 20 moderate or severe harm reports. Narrative follow-up was present in most high-harm reports, but structured contributing factors were absent in 17 of 20. Incident reporting should be one input into a severity-weighted burn-center learning system with harm classification at review or closure, escalation, action ownership, implementation resources, documented closure, and feedback to frontline teams.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148678452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of a Preoperative Communication Checklist on Operative Efficiency in Burn Surgery: A Quality Improvement Analysis.","authors":"Robertson Orson, Bettarelli Douglas, Bandaru Vishal, Siddiqui Khaja, Shemmiyeva Maysa, Walden Eric, Shaw Chip, Griswold John, Pang Alan","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag130","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Preoperative communication checklists are used to improve surgical safety and team coordination. We evaluated whether introduction of a preoperative communication checklist was associated with reduced operative duration in a burn operating room.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a quality improvement study comparing operative outcomes before and after introduction of a preoperative communication checklist in a burn unit. Cases from August 19, 2020, to August 20, 2022, were included, with checklist introduction occurring in August 20, 2021. Adult patients undergoing excisional debridement procedures were analyzed. The primary outcome was operative duration. Mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between checklist use and operative duration while adjusting for surgeon, procedure type, and square area excised.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 139 patients undergoing 281 operations were included (143 pre-checklist, 138 post-checklist). Mean operative duration decreased from 107.8 minutes pre-checklist to 96.0 minutes post-checklist. In adjusted analysis, checklist use was associated with a 17.99-minute reduction in operative duration (p<0.001). Procedures involving autograft, ReCell, and biodegradable temporizing matrix were associated with increased operative time, as was greater square area excised. In interaction models, the overall reduction was not statistically significant; however, ReCell procedures demonstrated a significant reduction of 30.49 minutes (p=0.003) following checklist introduction.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Introduction of a preoperative communication checklist was associated with decreased operative duration. The greatest effect was observed in ReCell procedures, suggesting that improved preoperative coordination may enhance efficiency in complex workflows. Preoperative checklists represent a scalable quality improvement strategy to optimize operative efficiency and resource utilization in burn care.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148669477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inpatient Complications and Outcomes for Burn Patients Admitted with Opioid-Positive Drug Screens.","authors":"Emily P Swafford, Arman J Fijany, Tyler J Murphy, Punit Vyas, Jordan T Garcia, Jessica Ballou, Robel T Beyene, Stephen Gondek, Anne Wagner, Elizabeth Dale Slater","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Opioid use disorder complicates the management of burn injuries, particularly in achieving adequate pain control. While prior single-institution studies have evaluated associations between opioid use and burn outcomes, multi-institutional analyses of inpatient complications remain limited. Using the American Burn Association Noncommercial Burn Research Dataset, this study compares inpatient outcomes among patients with prehospital opioid-positive screening versus those with negative screening. Among 32 052 patients included, 50.5% screened positive for opioids at the time of presentation. These patients were more likely to be female (p < .0001), more likely to possess scald injuries (p < .0001), and less likely to be experiencing homelessness (p < .0001) or to be diagnosed with inhalation injury (p < .005). Opioid positivity was associated with increased odds of infectious complications, such as cellulitis (OR = 2.7, p < .0001) and sepsis (OR = 1.41, p < .001). Opioid negativity, conversely, had a higher prevalence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (p < .0001), acute kidney injury (p < .0001), respiratory failure (p < .05), and cardiac arrest (p < .05). The opioid-negative population also necessitated more frequent admission to the critical care unit (p < .05) and demonstrated higher overall mortality (p < .0001). These findings highlight the vulnerability of opioid-negative patients who may have delayed presentation and more severe injuries than originally anticipated. This work underscores the need for heightened vigilance and equitable, early care for these patients to mitigate risk in this group.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148669458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multicenter Analysis of Standard of Care versus Oxandrolone versus Testosterone in burn hypermetaboliSm (MASCOTS).","authors":"Aaron Hong, Parker M Hannan, Anastasiya Ivanko, Denise M Danos, Alexandra DeWitt Davis, Gina L DeFelice, Jonathan E Schoen, Jeffrey Carter, Janie Faris, Rebecca Coffey, Lauren B Nosanov, Bo Hyun Kong, Megan Taylor Yoerg, Laura S Johnson, Robel T Beyene, Sarah V Cogle, Anne Wagner, Arpana Jain, Kevin Foster, Hope Werenski, James H Holmes, David M Hill, Mahmoud Hassouba, Christopher LaChapelle, Callie M Thompson, Adria Johnson, Rohit Mittal, Steven Kahn, Shawn Tejiram, Melissa McLawhorn, Emma Blomberg, Justin Suarez, Shady Al-Hayek, Allison N Boyd, M Victoria P Miles","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Severe burn injury results in a profound hypermetabolic state that complicates management and recovery. Oxandrolone has historically been used to help attenuate this response, but its withdrawal from the United States (US) market has led to increased use of alternative anabolic agents such as testosterone and human growth hormone. However, studies comparing the efficacy and safety between these alternative anabolic agents in adult burn patients remain limited. In this multicenter study, patients were stratified based on if they received testosterone, oxandrolone, human growth hormone, or no anabolic supplementation. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were analyzed with ANOVA and Chi-square testing as appropriate. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for baseline differences in injury severity and patient characteristics. 813 patients who sustained major burn injuries between June 2022 and June 2025 across 12 verified US burn centers were analyzed. Anabolic supplementation was not associated with improved inpatient weight maintenance when compared with no anabolic supplementation (p=0.064), nor with differences in median weight change. Patients receiving anabolic therapy experienced longer hospital and intensive care unit stays (p=0.026). Overall mortality did not differ between treated and untreated patients (p = 0.885); however, mortality was higher among patients treated with oxandrolone compared with testosterone (p=0.001). Anabolic therapy was associated with higher rates of venous thromboembolic events (p = 0.019). These findings underscore that optimizing anabolic therapy will require balancing efficacy, safety, and economic considerations, with a focus on long-term functional outcomes beyond initial hospital stay.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148603336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying Risk Factors for Inpatient Falls in Burn Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.","authors":"Ana Rivera Juarez, Charles Voigt, Sadaf Akbari, Colette Galet, Alexander Kurjatko","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag124","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inpatient falls are associated with prolonged hospital stays, increased complications, and substantial economic burden. Burn patients face unique risks due to impaired mobility. Yet, risk factors and outcomes in burn units remain underexplored. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the impact of inpatient falls on adult burn outcomes. Predictors of fall risk to guide prevention strategies were identified. Adult patients admitted for burn injuries from January 1, 2015, to July 31, 2024, were included. Fallers were identified through an internal auditing system and matched 1:2 to non-fall controls based on age, sex, total burn surface area (TBSA), and inhalation injury. Demographics, comorbidities, medication use, Fall Risk Assessment Score (FRAS), physical and occupational therapy assessments, and fall safety measures were collected. Univariate, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed; p<0.05 was considered significant. One hundred thirty-two patients were included, 45 fallers and 87 non-fallers. Fallers were more likely to use antihypertensives (62.2% vs. 39.1%, p = 0.016) and antiarrhythmics (75.6% vs. 52.9%, p=0.014) than non-fallers. They required greater mobility assistance at admission (Basic mobility score 16 [11.3-20] vs. 20 [14-24], p=0.002). Fallers required more help for activities of daily living (Daily activity score 16 [12-19] vs. 19 [14-22], p=0.004). The FRAS predictive value was moderate (AUC=0.653, p=0.009). Burn surgery requirement (Odds Ratio (OR)=3.35 [1.12-10.1], p=0.031) and FRAS (OR=1.12 [1.04-1.20], p=0.003) were independently associated with fall risk. These findings underscore the value of functional assessment and proactive, tailored fall prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148562118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of Response to Fractional CO₂ Laser Therapy in Hypertrophic Burn Scars: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Timothy Worley, Alexandra McDowell, Aaron De Souza, Alan Pang","doi":"10.1093/jbcr/irag123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/irag123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypertrophic burn scars are associated with significant functional impairment and psychosocial morbidity. While fractional CO₂ laser therapy has demonstrated efficacy in improving scar quality and symptoms, limited data exist on how baseline scar characteristics and patient factors influence treatment response. This study evaluated whether baseline scar severity, total body surface area (TBSA), and duration of initial hospital stay predict responsiveness to fractional CO₂ laser therapy, and whether laser treatment is associated with a reduced need for scar contracture release procedures. A retrospective cohort study was conducted including burn patients who underwent fractional CO₂ laser therapy. Scar severity was assessed using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) before and after treatment. Additional variables included TBSA, length of initial hospitalization, and incidence of subsequent scar contracture release procedures. A control cohort of burn patients who did not receive laser therapy was included for comparison. Statistical analyses were performed to identify predictors of scar improvement and associations with procedural outcomes. Baseline VSS score was the strongest predictor of treatment response, with higher initial severity associated with greater improvement following laser therapy. TBSA and hospital length of stay were not significantly associated with treatment response. Laser therapy was associated with fewer scar contracture release procedures; however, this did not reach statistical significance, likely due to limited sample size. These findings suggest initial scar severity is a key determinant of laser responsiveness and support further study in larger cohorts.</p>","PeriodicalId":15205,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Burn Care & Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148562113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}