Pruritus in patients with small burn injuries

Objective To document incidence of pruritus and the presence of predisposing factors after small burns and their (subjective) impact on daily life. Methods Retrospective study interviewing all patients treated in an outpatient burn clinic during 2004. Patients were contacted by phone and questioned on aspects of the burn and the presence, intensity and impact of pruritus. Predisposing factors for pruritus were analysed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Eighty-five percent of the 318 outpatients consented to the interview. Median total burned surface area (TBSA) was 2% (interquartile range of 1–4%). Thirty-five percent of patients recalled moderate pruritus, 14% severe pruritus. Impact on daily life was reported in 42% of patients suffering from moderate pruritus and 92% of patients suffering from severe pruritus. A multi variant logistic regression model based on baseline parameters (TBSA, age and anatomical region burned) only predicted 16.8% of experienced pruritus. Conclusion Recovery from small burns is associated with a high incidence of pruritus, which has substantial impact on daily life. It is difficult to identify patients at risk at the time of injury, as baseline demographic and injury related parameters only play a minor role. Future studies are needed to assess the effect of prevention and treatment and to define predictors for the incidence of pruritis.