This week is Burn Awareness Week, organized by the American Burn Association to bring attention to burn and fire prevention and to advocate for burn injury survivors and their families. Burns injuries are damage to the body caused by exposure to heat, electricity, or chemicals. They are described as 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd degree burns based on how deep the injury goes. People may know that burn injuries can include scarring and itching, but they may not know that burn injuries can lead to muscle contracture, mobility limitations, and even limb loss. Burn survivors may also experience pain and fatigue as they recover and experience long lasting effects. The NIDILRR-funded Burn Injury Model System Centers has looked at the long-term impacts of burn injury and how burn injuries may be considered a chronic condition.

Our Research In Focus series has explored some of the NIDILRR-funded research on the physical and cognitive impacts of burn injuries, the challenges burn injury survivors can face in employment and community living, and interventions that may help them get back to full participation. 

• Large Burns Can Cause Lasting Movement Problems, Long-Term Rehabilitation Interventions May Help
• For People with Severe Burn Injuries, Cognitive and Communication Problems May Be Common
• People with Inhalation Injuries After Burn May Have Additional Challenges Returning to Work
• A Coordinated Rehabilitation Program May Help Workers with Burn Injuries Get Back to Work
• Burn Injury Survivors May Face Racial or Ethnic Gaps in Community Integration After injury
• Telemedicine Can Help Care Teams Focus on Recovery After Burn Injury

If you are interested in more lay-language summaries of research from the Burn Injury Model Systems, visit the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center for their collection of Quick Reviews of Research and their research-based information resources for burn injury survivors, their families, and the care teams who support their recovery and independence.