Psychological and Physiological Complications of Post-Burn Patients in Pakistan A narrative review

Abstract

Pakistan has a burn mortality rate of 6.5%, with a considerable percentage of survivors suffering from long-term complications due to lack of rehabilitation. This review aimed to outline the important physiological and psychological after-effects of burn injuries. Google Scholar, MEDLINE® and PubMed were searched for relevant articles between March and May 2020. Psychological complications of burns include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sleep disturbance, phobias, guilt, suicidal thoughts and personality changes. Physiological complications include scarring, contractures, pain, muscle wasting and hypothermia; other complications include infections. This review revealed a scarcity of literature regarding the prevalence and impact of long-term complications in post-burn patients. A lack of rehabilitative services and high rate of post-burn complications in Pakistan were found. Rehabilitation of burn patients should be a continuation of active treatment and should begin from the day of admission, to reduce the morbidity and improve the quality of life of burn patients.