Adolescents with head and neck (H&N) burns reported significantly worse satisfaction with appearance at 12 months after injury when compared with cohorts without H&N burns, according to a study published in Burns. Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD, and colleagues examined differences in long-term outcomes with and without H&N involvement among 392 burn survivors aged 14-17.9. Comparisons were made between the groups based on presence of a H&N burn using the Satisfaction with Appearance (SWAP) Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Community Integration Questionnaire, and Short Form-12 Health Survey at 6, 12, and 24 months after injury. Regression analyses were used to assess the association between outcome measures and H&N group at 12 months. The researchers found that the H&N group had more extensive burns, had longer hospital stays, were more likely to be burned by fire/flame, and were more likely to be Hispanic compared with the non-H&N group. Regression analysis found that H&N burn status was associated with worse SWAP scores.
