Course and predictors of pruritus following burns: A multilevel analysis

Abstract

Itch is a common problem after burns. Although the prospective topic receives increasing attention, the number of studies is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of acute traumatic stress symptoms, controlled for injury characteristics, age and sex, on itch over a period of 18 months using multilevel scores. analysis. A total of 226 respondents provided itch Participants completed the Burn Itch Questionnaire during admission (n = 208) and at 3 (n =179), 12 (n =143) and 18 (n =99) months post-burn. They completed the Impact of Event Scale to assess acute traumatic stress symptoms during admission. Skin graft requirement, a higher level of acute traumatic stress symptoms and younger age were statistically significant predictors of a higher itch score. Younger age was particularly associated with higher itch scores during particularly admission, whereas the effect of skin grafting was observed at 3 months post-burn. This study replicates the predictive role of traumatic stress symptoms, which warrants further research.