title: Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) early after injury predicts long-term pain after burn.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic pain after burn can have severe physical and psychological effects on former patients years after the initial injury. Although the issue of pain after burn has gained increased attention over the past years, prospective, longitudinal studies are scarce. Our aim was to prospectively investigate consecutive burn patients for pain severity over time and to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of post-burn pain to 2-7 years after the burn. As an additional aim, the effects of burn and individual-related factors, especially health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL), were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven consecutive burn patients were assessed during acute care at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months, as well as at 2-7 years post-burn. HRQoL, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders were investigated. During the interviews that took place 2-7 years after the injury (mean 4.6±1.9 years), current chronic post-burn pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-third of the patients still reported pain 2-7 years after the injury. Pain severity and interference with daily life were mainly mild to moderate though they were found to be associated with significantly lower HRQoL. Chronic pain after burn was associated with both burn- and individual-related factors. In logistic regression analysis HRQoL at 3 and 12 months and symptoms of PTSD at 12 months were independent factors in predicting chronic pain after burn.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain after burn becomes a chronic burden for many former burn patients and decreases HRQoL. A novel finding in this study was that HRQoL assessed early after burn was a predictor for the development of chronic pain. This finding may help to predict future pain problems and serve as an indicator for pain preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience Psychiatry, Uppsala University, University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala,Sweden; The Burn Center, Department of Hand, Plastic and Intensive, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Emelie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gauffin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience Psychiatry, Uppsala University, University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala,Sweden.
authors.forename: Caisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Öster
authors.affiliation: The Burn Center, Department of Hand, Plastic and Intensive, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Folke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Plastic Surgery, Uppsala University, University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerdin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience Psychiatry, Uppsala University, University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala,Sweden.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekselius
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form; Burns; Health-related quality of life; Pain; Post-traumatic stress disorder