431 Through the Eyes of Burn-Injured Youth - How Burn Camp Helps Survivors Thrive

• Published in: Journal of burn care & research 2019-03, Vol.40 (Supplement_1), p.S188-S188
• Main Authors: Rimmer, R B, Bay, C, Kalil, E, Chacon, D, Esker, M, Milem, M, Foster, K N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1559-047X; 1559-0488
• DOI: 10.1093/jbcr/irz013.328

Abstract Introduction Improvement in acute burn care has increased the probability of survival of severely burned children who often experience disfigurement and physical/emotional pain. Recreational camps whose goal is to help them deal with their burn injuries have existed for several decades. This includes helping burned children cope with disfigurement and the psycho/social challenges of burn survival. Few studies have delineated the actual benefits of camp from the participants’ point of view. This study asked attendees to identify and rank reasons they would recommend camp attendance to a burn-injured peer. Methods Burn-injured youth attending four regional burn camps completed a survey asking, “If you were to invite a burn survivor to burn camp how would you rate the following 10 items recently identified by your burn peers as benefits of attending?” Items included Increased Confidence, Making Friends, Help with Scarring, No Judgement Zone, Supportive Counselors, Trying New Things, Being Part of a Community, Getting Away from Home and Being Outside. Participants rated each item on a scale of 1(Not at all) to 4 (Really a lot) and then chose the 3 most important benefits they get from burn camp. Results Participants (n=164) had a mean age of 13.7 years; female (n=88), male (n=74). The main cause of injury was fire/flame (40%) and scald (42%). The average age at burn was 6.1 yrs.; average years of attending camp was 4.6 and 76% had visible scars. All items received an average score of 3 or higher. The highest rated items were Increasing My Confidence (3.63) and Supportive Counselors (3.59). The lowest were, Time Away from Home (3.08) and Spending Time Outside (3.21). All items were ranked significantly higher than the two lowest ranking items (p=