Sleep Quality in Burn Patients After Hospital Discharge

Background: Sleep, as a reversible phenomenon, is vital for maintaining energy and enhancing the quality of life. Sleep disorders after burn accidents may have biopsychological effects on burn patients, years after the initial injury. This study evaluated the quality of sleep in patients with chronic burns.  Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 patients referred to the Subspecialty Hospital for Burns in Tehran, Iran 6 months after their discharge for reconstructive surgery. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to collect the study data. The participants were recruited by convenience sampling method. The obtained data were analyzed by Chi-square test using SPSS.  Results: According to the results, 38% of the participants had experienced good sleep quality (Mean±SD: 3.3±0.9), but 62% reported poor sleep quality (Mean±SD: 9.96±3.2). There were statistically significant associations between sleep quality and gender (P=0.039), material status (P=0.003), occupational status (P=0.000), educational level (P=0.04), burn surface (P=0.02), and duration after burn (P=0.028). No statistically significant association was found between sleep quality and patients’ age, burn surface, and monthly income. Conclusion: Evaluation of sleep adequacy should be a routine component of outpatient assessment in patients with burn, with the consideration of referral to a sleep specialist, as needed.