Model System:

Burn

Reference Type:

Journal

Accession No.:

J73524

Journal:


Burns

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 42, 1, 41-47

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study evaluated the efficacy of a 12-week community-based exercise training rehabilitation program (COMBEX) in improving lean mass, muscle strength, and aerobic capacity in children with severe burns. Thirty-four pediatric patients (aged 7–18 years) with burns covering 30 percent or more of their total body surface area (TBSA) were randomized to participate in COMBEX (12 patients) or an outpatient exercise program (EX) performed at the hospital (22 patients). Both programs were started after hospital discharge and consisted of 12 weeks of progressive resistive and aerobic exercise. COMBEX was performed in community fitness centers near the patients’ home. Outcomes were assessed at discharge (pre-exercise) and after the 12-week program. Primary outcomes were lean body mass (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), muscle strength (isokinetic dynamometry), and peak aerobic capacity (indirect calorimetry). Demographics, length of hospitalization, and TBSA burned were comparable between groups. Both groups exhibited a significant increase in lean muscle mass, muscle strength, and peak aerobic capacity. Furthermore, the magnitude of these increases were not different between groups. Results of this study suggest that both EX and COMBEX are efficacious in improving lean mass, strength, and cardiopulmonary capacity in severely burned children.

Author(s):


Pena, Raquel, Ramirez, Leybi L., Crandall, Craig G., Wolf, Steven E., Herndon, David N., Suman, Oscar E.