Outcomes from Burn Injury—Should Decreasing Mortality Continue to be Our Compass?

• Published in: Clinics in plastic surgery Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 701 - 708
• Main Authors: Jaskille, Amín D., MD, Shupp, Jeffrey W., MD, Pavlovich, Anna R., BSN, RN, Fidler, Philip, MD, Jordan, Marion H., MD, Jeng, James C., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-10-2009
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Burns; Burns - history; Burns - mortality; Burns - therapy; Extent; Gender; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Middle Aged; Mortality; Outcomes; Plastic Surgery; Quality of Life; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Gender; Burns; Extent; Mortality; Outcomes; Age
• ISSN: 0094-1298; 1558-0504
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cps.2009.05.003

Patient survival continues to be the standard measure of outcomes after burn injury. The current mortality following thermal injury, however, is very low, around 5% to 6%, and has changed little in almost 30 years. This article uses the National Burn Repository to assess the factors that affect mortality and discusses the need for other outcome measures. Although improving survival is a lofty goal and should not be abandoned, aspects such as quality of life and return to baseline activity should be taken into account in the assessment of patient outcome after burn injury.