“This is not just a little accident”: a qualitative understanding of paediatric burns from the perspective of parents

Abstract

Findings from this research will allow health professionals to optimise a holistic clinical service from a consumer's perspective at all stages of the burn journey. These research conclusions could be used for the development of protocols to underpin a comprehensive information and social support management plan for families that would complement and support the surgical, medical and therapeutic treatment plan, providing direction for comprehensive service delivery. Implications for Rehabilitation Health professionals should optimise a holistic clinical service from a consumer's perspective taking into consideration all stages of the burn journey. Therapeutic supports are required to target each phase of the burn journey and address changes in coping strategies and behavioural responses. There is a need for the development of protocols to underpin a comprehensive information and social support management plan for families that will complement and support the surgical and medical treatment plan.

Parents' perceived quality of pediatric burn care

“…A burn trauma affects several dimensions of health of the injured child, and also has a great impact on the family as a whole for a long period of time thereafter [1,2]. Parents are very much involved in the care of the child, both during the hospital stay and after discharge, and their views are essential for improvement of pediatric burn care.…”

How are parents affected when their child has an appearance-altering injury?

“…Similarly the burn injury can result in the typical roles that parents have in the household changing, for example one parent may start to take responsibility for more aspects of the housework or childcare and these changing roles can sometimes increase tensions between partners (Griffiths et al, in preparation;Horridge et al, 2010). Parents may feel overwhelmed with guilt over their child's injury and this can place further pressure on the martial relationship (McGarry et al, 2014).…”

“…Particularly in the early weeks after the injury, these experiences can be distressing and painful for some children, and for parents to witness their child in pain can further increase parents' stress (McGarry et al, 2014).…”

“…For many children, the experience of a burn involves a period of time in hospital, painful medical treatment and permanent scarring (Hamaoui et al, 2006). For some children the presence of scarring can result in unwanted attention, staring, questions or negative comments from others (Blakeney et al, 1998;Lawrence et al, 2004;McGarry et al, 2014;Rimmer et al, 2007). Many children cope well and are unaffected by their burn injury.…”

A holistic exploration of paediatric partial thickness burn care in the outpatient setting

“…Parents and caregivers have been demonstrated to use negative coping reactions such as blame when caring for a burn-injured child and experience feelings of guilt [22]. Accordingly, research has also shown that a child's psychosocial recovery can be impacted on by parents' responses to the burn event [23].…”