Abstract

Background: Burn injuries are among the most common types of trauma and may result in long-term physical, functional, and psychological impairments, leading to a substantial reduction in patients’ quality of life (QoL). However, studies evaluating QoL using the EQ-5D-5L instrument in Vietnamese burn patients, particularly in Central Vietnam, remain limited. Objectives: To describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics, management, and quality of life of burn patients treated at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital.

Materials and method: A descriptive cross-sectional study with follow-up was conducted on 34 hospitalized burn patients (54 burn sites) treated between January and December 2024. Clinical characteristics, paraclinical findings, treatment modalities, and sequelae were recorded. Quality of life was assessed using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire at four time points: before burn injury, before treatment, 1 month after treatment, and 3 months after treatment.

Results: Patients aged 18–59 years accounted for 73.5% of the study population. Wet thermal burns were the most common cause (64.7%). Most patients were admitted within 6 hours after injury (76.5%), whereas only 38.2% received appropriate first aid. Burns involving <10% of the total body surface area accounted for 79.4% of cases, with the lower extremities being the most frequently affected site (38.9%). Third-degree burns were the most common depth of injury (44.4%). Dressing changes and debridement with dressing changes were the main treatment modalities. Hypertrophic scarring was the most common sequela, affecting 25.9% of burn sites after 3 months. The EQ-5D-5L index decreased significantly immediately after burn injury, improved markedly 1 month after treatment, and continued to improve after 3 months. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that sex, appropriate first aid, burn etiology, and hypertrophic scarring were associated with QoL during the early recovery period, whereas hypertrophic scarring remained the only independent factor associated with QoL at 3 months.

Conclusion: Wet thermal burns were the leading cause of burn injuries, with most patients presenting with burns involving <10% of the total body surface area and being admitted early after injury, although the rate of appropriate first aid remained low. Quality of life deteriorated markedly immediately after burn injury but improved progressively during follow-up. Hypertrophic scarring was the only factor independently associated with QoL at 3 months, highlighting the importance of appropriate first aid, comprehensive burn management, and scar prevention in improving long-term quality of life.