Adults with well‐healed burn injuries have lower pulmonary function values decades after injury. Issue 10 (17th May 2022) - Watso, Joseph C.
Abstract: Sub‐acute (e.g., inhalation injury) and/or acute insults sustained during a severe burn injury impairs pulmonary function. However, previous work has not fully characterized pulmonary function in adults with well‐healed burn injuries decades after an injury. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that adults with well‐healed burn injuries have lower pulmonary function years after recovery. Our cohort of adults with well‐healed burn‐injuries ( n = 41) had a lower forced expiratory volume in one second (Burn: 93 ± 16 vs. Control: 103 ± 10%predicted, mean ± SD; d = 0.60, p = 0.04), lower maximal voluntary ventilation (Burn: 84 [71–97] vs. Control: 105 [94–122] %predicted, median [IQR]; d = 0.84, p < 0.01), and a higher specific airway resistance (Burn: 235 ± 80 vs. Control: 179 ± 40%predicted, mean ± SD; d = 0.66, p = 0.02) than non‐burned control participants ( n = 12). No variables were meaningfully influenced by having a previous inhalation injury ( d ≤ 0.44, p ≥ 0.19; 13 of 41 had an inhalation injury), the size of the body surface area burned ( R 2 ≤ 0.06, p ≥ 0.15; range of 15%–88% body surface area burned), or the time since the burn injury ( R 2 ≤ 0.04, p ≥ 0.22; range of 2–50 years post‐injury). These data suggest that adults with well‐healed burn injuries have lower pulmonary function decades after injury. Therefore, future research should examine rehabilitation strategies that could improve pulmonary function among adults with well‐healed burn injuries. Abstract : We found that adults with well‐healed burn injuries had a lower percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in one second, a lower percent predicted maximal voluntary ventilation, and a higher percent predicted specific airway resistance than control participants without a prior burn injury. None of these variables were explained by having a previous inhalation injury, having a larger portion of body surface area burned, or a shorter time since the burn injury. Together, these data suggest that adults with well‐healed burn injuries continue to have lower pulmonary function decades after injury. Therefore, future research should examine potential rehabilitation strategies that could improve pulmonary function among adults with well‐healed burn injuries.