Quality of Life Assessment 4 Years after a More than 90% Total Body Surface Area in 2 Survivors with Burns: Case Report

There are few reports in the literature detailing the quality of life (QOL) of survivors with greater than 90% total body surface area burns. The objective was to assess 2 such individuals seen at our center with the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) survey 4 years after discharge. Subject responses were categorized into their respective BSHS-B health domains (heat sensitivity, affect, hand function, treatment regimens, work, sexuality, interpersonal relationships, simple abilities, and body image), and a raw score was calculated for each domain. Lower scores indicated a greater perceived decrease in QOL. The 9 domains of BSHS-B survey questions were further separated into 3 categories: physical (hand function, work, and simple abilities), treatment (treatment regimens and heat sensitivity), and psychosocial (interpersonal relationships, affect, body image, and sexuality). The psychosocial category had higher scores and better outcomes, while the physical and treatment ones had lower scores and worse outcomes compared to the other categories. For both individuals, interpersonal relationships and simple task domains were considered important in their QOL, while work, heat sensitivity, and hand function received lower scores. Family support, intense physical rehabilitation, and psychosocial management were crucial during the postoperative and follow-up periods.