108 Length of Stay per Total Body Surface Area Relative to Burn Mechanism: A Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative (PIQIC) Study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Studies on length of stay (LOS) per total body surface area (TBSA) burn in pediatric patients have been performed at single institutions and based on ranges of TBSA burn. A LOS to TBSA burn ratio of 1:1 has also been widely accepted but not confirmed over time across numerous institutions. The objective of this study was to use multi-institutional pediatric burn data to describe benchmarks associated with LOS per TBSA burn. Methods Data from the Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative (PIQIC) were obtained for 1004 patients (n=1004) treated at five pediatric burn centers from July 2018-March 2020. LOS/TBSA burn ratios were calculated for each site. LOS/TBSA burn by institution and mechanism were analyzed. Generalized linear regression models were used to model the effect of hospital and burn mechanism on the LOS/TBSA ratio. Results Among the 1004 injuries, the most common burn mechanism was by scald (64%), followed by contact (16%) and flame (13%). The average LOS/TBSA burn ratio across all cases was 1.3 days (SD 2.2). Flame burns had a higher LOS/TBSA burn ratio than scald burns with a mean LOS/TBSA burn of 1.63 compared to 0.84. In adjusted models, scald burns, and chemical burns had the lowest LOS/TBSA burn ratio and electrical and friction burns had the highest LOS/TBSA burn ratio. The LOS/TBSA burn ratio was comparable across hospitals after adjustment for mechanism, with just Hospital 4 having a lower average LOS/TBSA burn of 0.49 days. Conclusions These data establish a multi-institutional ratio for the overall performance in LOS for pediatric burn patients. A LOS per TBSA ratio of about 1 was observed across PIQIC centers, except for a lower ratio at one center. Additionally, it provides evidence on the variance in LOS per TBSA burn relative to the sustained burn mechanism. Further collaborative data analysis will allow us to recognize specific patterns and outcomes in pediatric burn care, which is essential for the implementation of quality improvement standards.