Burn Injuries

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish adaptation of the Burnt Hand Outcome Tool (BHOT) in adults with a history of hand burns. The participant population will include adults aged 18 years and older who have experienced unilateral or bilateral hand burns and can read and understand Turkish.The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does the Turkish version of the BHOT demonstrate high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity? How strongly are BHOT scores associated with objective hand function measures such as grip strength and sensory evaluation? Participants will not be assigned to comparison groups, as this is a methodological validation study. Participants will: Complete a sociodemographic information form. Complete the Turkish version of the BHOT and the QuickDASH questionnaire. Undergo objective assessments including hand grip strength using a dynamometer and sensory evaluation using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. Participate in repeated assessments at baseline, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months for reliability analyses.

This prospective observational cohort study aims to investigate the longitudinal changes in the skin and gut microbiome of burn patients after injury and compare them with healthy controls. Burn injuries are known to induce systemic physiological and immune responses that may lead to widespread microbial dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) beyond the injured site. However, the dynamics of microbial community changes in both burned and non-burned skin, as well as the gut, remain poorly understood. In this study, a total of 660 participants will be enrolled, including 600 burn patients and 60 healthy controls. For burn patients, skin swabs from burned scars and matched non-burned skin, stool samples, and physiological skin measurements will be collected at multiple time points (baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months). Healthy controls will provide skin and stool samples at baseline only. Microbial profiling will be performed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, and functional prediction will be analyzed using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States 2 (PICRUSt2). Physiological skin-barrier measurements, including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), hydration, pH, erythema, and elasticity, will be assessed using standardized instruments. Blood biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), will also be measured. The findings of this study will improve our understanding of burn-related microbial dysbiosis, provide insights into microbiome-driven skin-barrier recovery, and inform potential therapeutic strategies for long-term burn care.