Poverty and Frailty Are Not Related to Each Other With Regard to Outcomes in Middle-Aged and Older Patients with Burn Injuries

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between frailty and poverty in burn patients >50 years-old, and their association with patient outcomes. This was a single-center retrospective chart review from 2009-2018 of patients >50 years old admitted with acute burn injuries. Frailty was assigned using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale. Poverty was defined as a patient from a zip code that had >20% of people living in poverty. The relationship between frailty and poverty, as well as each variable independently on mortality, length of stay (LOS), and disposition location was examined. Of 953 patients, the median age was 61 years, 70.8% were male, and median total body surface area burn was 6.6%. Upon admission, 26.4% and 35.2% patients were frail and from impoverished neighborhoods, respectively. The mortality rate was 8.8%. Univariate analysis demonstrated that non-survivors had significantly higher chances of living in poverty (p=0.02) and were more likely to be frail compared to survivors. There was no significant correlation between poverty and frailty (p=0.08). Multivariate logistic regression confirmed the relationship between lack of poverty and mortality (OR 0.47 95% CI 0.25-0.89) and frailty and mortality OR 1.62 95%CI 1.24-2.12). Neither poverty (p=0.26) nor frailty (p=0.52) was associated with LOS. Both poverty and frailty were associated with a patient’s discharge location (p=0.03; p<0.0001). Poverty and frailty each independently predict mortality and discharge destination in burn patients >50, but they are not associated with LOS nor each other.