Effectiveness of Fitting Pressure Garments for Minor and Moderate Burn Patients: A Literature Review

Aim: Burn reconstruction and rehabilitation are difficult and time-consuming processes; a burn patient must endure a long rehabilitation process to treat burn scars. The continued proliferation of scars and anxiety engender considerable difficulties for patients. A burn scar contracture is like a burned rubber band; the skin is never restored to its original flexibility. Wearing pressure garments (PGs) is uncomfortable and challenging for patients, but constant adherence is necessary. To improve adherence, precise knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of PG therapy (PGT) is necessary. Methods: This review examined experimental studies that have applied PGT on patients with varicose veins and burns, as well as healthy human controls. The participants answered questionnaires to determine the best or "ideal" pressure. All scars were treated under a scar management program and followed up by the treating hospital and scanned by ultrasound. Scars were assessed using the Tissue Ultrasound Palpation System (TUPS), as well as the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) for rating scar thickness, pliability, pigmentation, and vascularity. Scar thickness and color were objectively measured using the Pliance X system and Laser Doppler Imaging (LDI). Results: In general, the application of 15-25 mmHg pressure is most commonly used in clinical practice. Minor and moderate burn patients could wear PGs in the very beginning of the recovery process. According to guidelines, closed scars should always be reevaluated 6 months after the burn to determine whether additional scar management interventions are required or whether preventive therapy can be terminated.