Abstract
Background: Post-burn pruritus (PBP) has been shown to adversely affect burn patients’ quality of life. However, the predictors of PBP are not known. We hypothesize a pre-existing pruritic skin diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes following a burn injury. Methods: This retrospective study utilized data from the TriNetX electronic health record. Burn patients with a history of a pruritic skin disorder were compared to patients without a diagnosed skin disorder and the occurrence of pruritus was compared between the two cohorts. Results: Patients with pre-existing skin conditions were more likely to develop PBP. The risk of PBP was highest 1 year after injury. Stratification by percent TBSA burned, gender, race, and age showed an increased risk of PBP for females, Caucasians, older patients, and those with large burns. Conclusion: A pre-existing pruritic skin diagnosis is highly associated with developing pruritus following a burn injury.
Original language | English (US) |
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Journal | American Journal of Surgery |
DOIs | |
State | Accepted/In press - 2023 |
Keywords
- Burn
- Patients database
- Pruritus
- Quality of life
- Skin disease
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery