Studies on
length of stay (LOS) per total body surface area (TBSA)
burn in pediatric patients are often limited to single institutions and are grouped in ranges of TBSA
burn which lacks specific detail to counsel patients and families. A LOS to TBSA
burn ratio of 1 has been widely accepted but not validated with multi-institution data. The objective of this study is to describe the current relationship of LOS per TBSA
burn and LOS per TBSA
burn relative to
burn mechanism with the use of multi-institutional data. Data from the Pediatric Injury Quality Improvement Collaborative (PIQIC) were obtained for patients across five pediatric burn centers from July 2018 to September 2020. LOS per TBSA
burn ratios were calculated. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear regression which modeled characteristics associated with LOS per TBSA ratio are described. Among the 1267 pediatric
burn patients, the most common mechanism was scald (64%), followed by contact (17%) and flame (13%). The average LOS/TBSA
burn ratio across all cases was 1.2 (SD = 2.1). In adjusted models, scald
burns and
chemical burns had similar LOS/TBSA
burn ratios of 0.8 and 0.9, respectively, whereas all other
burns had a significantly higher LOS/TBSA
burn ratio (p<0.0001). LOS/TBSA
burn ratios were similar across races, although Hispanics had a slightly higher ratio at 1.4 days. These data establish a multi-institution LOS per TBSA ratio across PIQIC centers and demonstrate a significant variation in the LOS per TBSA
burn relative to the
burn mechanism sustained.