Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Acute Burn Injuries

This randomized controlled study will investigate the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on inflammatory response and functional recovery in adults with acute burn injuries. Participants will be adults aged 18 to 65 years with second- or third-degree burns involving 5% to 30% of total body surface area and who are enrolled within the first 72 hours after hospitalization. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will receive non-invasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation in addition to conventional physiotherapy. The control group will receive conventional physiotherapy only. The stimulation will be applied through surface electrodes placed on the auricular region of the ear for 20 minutes per session, for a total of 10 sessions. The main outcomes will be inflammatory response, assessed by C-reactive protein levels, and functional recovery, assessed by the Functional Independence Measure. Assessments will be performed before the intervention and after completion of the 10 treatment sessions.