title: Immediate and long-term psychological problems for survivors of severe pediatric electrical injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare psychological difficulties experienced during the initial acute hospitalization and the last follow up visit for children with electrical injuries (EI) and children without electrical injuries (non-EI). We hypothesized that children with electrical burns would have different psychological outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study compared emotional and cognitive functioning of EI patients and a matched group of survivors of other burns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medical records of 67 patients with and without EI were reviewed. For the EI group, the mean age at injury was 12.6±3.9 years, the mean age at follow up was 15.5±4.6 years, and mean TBSA 32±21%. For the Non-EI group, the mean age at injury was 12.4±3.9 years, the mean age at follow up was 14.5±4.7 years, and mean TBSA 32±21.5%. During the acute hospitalization, a significant difference was found between the groups in the area of neuropathic pain (Chi-square tests p<0.011). Individuals with EI were more likely to have acute stress disorder/post-traumatic stress disorder as well as amnesia of the accident than the controls; however, this did not reach statistical significance. No differences were found between the groups in other psychological areas. Follow up information from the last documented psychology/psychiatric visit revealed an equal number of patients experienced anxiety disorders, depression, grief, behavioral problems, and cognitive difficulties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some differences were evident between the groups immediately after injury; however, long term outcomes were similar.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. Electronic address: marosenb@utmb.edu.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Clark R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children, Shriners Burns Hospital, Galveston, TX 77550, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000647:Amnesia / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002058:Burns, Electric / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: Affective; Cognitive; Electrical injury; Pediatric; Psychological outcome