Photo Credit: Wongsakorn Napaeng

Research shows gaps in medical literature and clinical guidelines on burn injuries in darker skin may contribute to variations in care quality and outcomes.

While burn injuries are prevalent and the need for tailored care is recognized, important gaps exist in the medical literature and clinical guidelines addressing the unique needs of patients with darker skin tones. These gaps may contribute to variations in care quality and outcomes, according to findings published in Wound Repair and Regeneration.

These gaps led Robert D. Galiano MD, FACS, and colleagues to conduct a scoping review exploring the potential disparities in burn injury outcomes in skin of color.

The researchers used PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases to identify 31 articles for analysis. Inclusion criteria included studies that addressed burn injury treatment and outcomes for people with darker skin tones, highlighted disparities based on race, ethnicity, or included data on physiological differences in scar formation and healing for darker skin types.

Gaps in Literature, Assessment Tools, & Outcomes

The findings showed considerable gaps in the representation of darker skin tones in medical literature and clinical research, highlighted inadequacies in current burn assessment tools, and emphasized the need for tailored treatment protocols. Furthermore, the studies found greater risks for complications and worse outcomes for patients with darker skin tones, resulting from systemic healthcare challenges and inadequate clinical guidelines.

The researchers identified four major themes from the literature:

• Significant racial disparities in burn care outcomes
• Lack of representation and diversity in burn care
• Insufficient burn assessment and measurement tools
• Information on disparate post-burn scar outcomes

Continued racial disparities in burn care outcomes suggest that minority populations may not be optimally served within the healthcare system. Observed trends, including longer hospital stays for Black patients and higher incidences of complications and mortality, highlight potential underlying systemic issues, according to the authors.

Current burn assessment tools and treatment protocols may not fully factor in the psychological characteristics of darker skin, potentially leading to challenges in diagnosis, treatment delays, and varied outcomes, they added.

“The findings from this review highlight the importance of more inclusive research, tailored clinical protocols, and comprehensive educational materials to address better the specific needs of people with darker skin tones in burn injury management,” the researchers concluded. “Bridging these observed gaps will require collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to support more equitable healthcare outcomes for all patients with burns, regardless of skin color.”