1015-A. Impact of Patient Occupation on Burn Severity and Recovery

Abstract Introduction Occupational burns often involve greater complexity in management and recovery compared to non-work related injuries, potentially due to injury mechanisms and exposure severity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of occupation and work-related burns on recovery outcomes using data from a national registry spanning a 10-year period. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using the American Burn Association (ABA) Burn Care Quality Platform (BCQP) registry (2013-2022). Collected data included demographics, burn characteristics, occupation, work-related injury status, progression, and complications. Analysis included chi-squared tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). Results The study included 74 522 patients across 28 occupational categories, including 32 351 who were unemployed. The mean age of the cohort was 20.5 ± 8.7 years. Most patients identified as White (57.8%; n = 43 044), followed by Black (19.0%; n = 14 143), and 15.8% (n = 11 759) reported as Hispanic or Latino. Compared to unemployed patients, office and administrative workers experienced a 29.2% longer hospital length of stay (LOS; p=.04), followed by transportation workers with a 13.2% increase in LOS (p=.004). Food service workers and firefighters had significantly shorter LOS, with reductions of 42.0% (p.001) and 41.3% (p.001), respectively. Transportation jobs were associated with a 37.8% higher total body surface area (TBSA) burned (p.001), while food service and firefighting occupations were associated with a 37.8% (p=.047) and 31.0% (p.001) lower TBSA, respectively. Conclusions Occupation plays an important role in burn recovery outcomes and complications. This study highlights that burn patients employed in physically demanding or high-risk occupations experience longer hospital stays and sustain larger injuries. Findings suggest that the likelihood of occupational exposure and the physical demands of a patient’s occupation may influence injury severity as well as recovery trajectory. Applicability of Research Findings from this study may guide future research and clinical decision-making by supporting the development of targeted interventions tailored to a patient’s occupation and associated risk profile.