Illicit Substance Use Effects on Burn Related Reconstruction Patient Outcomes and Complications Following Hospital Admission: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Philadelphia, PA

Patients suffering from burn-related injuries admitted to the hospital concurrent illicit substance use are believed to be at an increased risk of poor outcomes and the development of complications following burn reconstruction, however data varies within the literature and remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared outcomes and complications from studies during the years 1986 to 2017 between 15653 burn patients admitted to the hospital with substance use alcohol use reported by a positive toxicology screen (amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, methadone, codeine/morphine, PCP, LSD, inhalants, solvents, aerosols, legal highs), or the patient on hospital admission to 299543 burn patients admitted who were not using substances. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were systematically and independently searched. Clinical characteristics, illicit substance use, outcomes and complications were recorded. PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines where used throughout the review. Five of the 10 studies included in our study, were eligible for meta-analysis, with results from 8 of the possible 21 outcomes and complications queried. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis found that compared to patients suffering from burn-related injuries who did not use illicit substance, patients using illicit substances had a higher %TBSA of burns, longer hospital LOS, had a higher rate of intubation, had a higher rate of inhalation injury, longer ICU LOS, and increased wound/local skin infections.