774 Examination of the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Acutely Injured Burn Patients

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Abstract Introduction Despite advances in burn care that dramatically increase survivability for severe burn injuries, individuals who suffer such injuries will likely experience long recovery periods complicated by declines in psychological, social, behavioral, occupational, and sexual functioning. We compared the self-importance of spirituality in a patient’s life with select demographic data in order to better understand the role of spirituality in the treatment and recovery of patients in the Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU). Methods In this survey study and subsequent retrospective review, we explored the importance of spiritual beliefs and practices to the burn patient population within the BICU. We utilized the Belief into Action Scale (BIAC), which is a validated survey tool designed to quantify the full range of an individual’s religious involvement. Each participant completed one BIAC survey during his or her inpatient stay. We then collected patient demographics, including religious affiliation and the number of pastoral visits received. Injury characteristics and outcome measures were examined including, Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) burn, length of stay (LOS), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Results Between April and June of 2019, surveys were administered to 32 adult participants. The participants ranged in age from 21 to 83 (mean 52.5), 59% (19/32) were male and 41% (13/32) were female. Of the 32 participants, 69% were Caucasian, 25% were African American, 3% were Hispanic/Latino, and 3% were other. Sixty-six percent (21/32) had no religious affiliation identified within their medical record and 31% (10/32) of patients had at least 1 pastoral visit (range 0–5 visits). TBSA ranged from 0% (10/32) to 35%, seven (22%) participants had an inhalation injury, the most common mechanism of burn injury was flame (43.75%), and the average length of stay was 16 days (range 1–75 days). Mean BIAC score was 44.8 (out of 100), with a median of 46.5 and a standard deviation of 22.6, indicating a moderate degree of spiritual and religious beliefs. Conclusions Acutely injured burn patients, admitted to an urban burn center, report a moderate degree of spiritual and religious beliefs, strongly supporting the need for pastoral care in this population. Applicability of Research to Practice The increased likelihood of survival for severely burn injured patients has led to the need for a greater emphasis on the potential psychological and social morbidity for these individuals. This research highlights the importance of addressing the spiritual needs of burn patients.