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Effectiveness of topical silicone gel and pressure garment therapy for burn scar prevention and management in children: a randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the effectiveness of silicone and pressure garments (alone and in combination) in children receiving scar management post-burn.

Design

Multicentre, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Hospital outpatient clinics, colocated research centre, or the participant's home.

Participants

Children (0-18 years) referred for burn scar management.

Interventions

Participants were randomized to (1) topical silicone gel only, (2) pressure garment therapy only, or (3) combined topical silicone gel and pressure garment therapy.

Main measures

Primary outcomes included scar thickness and itch intensity at the primary end-point of six months post-burn injury. The outcome assessor and data analyst were blinded for scar thickness.

Results

Participants (N = 153; silicone n = 51, pressure n = 49, combined n = 53) had a median (inter-quartile range) age of 4.9 (1.6, 10.2) years and percent total body surface area burn of 1% (0.5%, 3%) and were 65% male. At six months post-burn injury, intention-to-treat analysis identified thinner scars in the silicone (n = 51 scar sites) compared to the combined group (n = 48 scar sites; mean difference (95% confidence interval) = -0.04 cm (-0.07, -0.00), P = 0.05). No other between-group differences were identified for scar thickness or itch intensity at six months post-burn.

Conclusion

No difference was identified in the effectiveness of silicone and pressure interventions alone. No benefit to a combined silicone and pressure intervention was identified for the prevention and management of abnormal scarring in children at six months post-burn injury, compared to the silicone or pressure interventions alone.

SUBMITTER: Wiseman J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6943962 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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