Liver Disease and Burn Injury: Risks and Outcomes
Author Information
Author(s): Leigh Ann Price MD, Brett Thombs PhD, Catherine L. Chen BA, Stephen M. Milner MBBS, BDS FRCS(Ed) FRCS
Primary Institution: The Johns Hopkins Burn Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Hypothesis
How does preexisting liver disease affect mortality and hospital stay in burn patients?
Conclusion
Patients with liver disease are at a significantly higher risk of mortality and longer hospital stays after burn injuries.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with liver disease had a mortality rate of 27.2% compared to 6.9% for those without.
- Lengths of intensive care and total hospital stay were significantly longer for patients with liver disease.
- Even after matching for demographics and burn severity, liver disease patients had higher mortality rates.
Takeaway
If someone has liver disease and gets burned, they are more likely to get very sick and stay in the hospital longer than someone without liver problems.
Methodology
Data from the American Burn Association National Burn Repository was analyzed, comparing patients with and without liver disease.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to differences in management across burn centers and reliance on ICD-9 coding for diagnoses.
Limitations
The study relies on registry data, which may not capture all patient illness severity and lacks certain variables like time from burn to admission.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 43.4 years; 72.8% were men and 65.7% were white.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.01
Confidence Interval
95% confidence interval = 3.6–7.0
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website