Model System:

Burn

Reference Type:

Journal

Accession No.:

J74395

Journal:


Burns

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 41, 7, 1442-1448

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study investigated whether the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) can be used to define hypertrophic scarring (HTS) in an objective, reliable manner. An online survey sent to 1,000 burn care providers asked respondents what VSS score indicates HTS and asked them to score scar photos using the VSS. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate VSS sub-scores and their combinations in diagnosis of HTS. Among the 130 responses received, there was no consensus as to what VSS score indicates a diagnosis of HTS. VSS height score (0–3) performed best for diagnosis of HTS; using a cut-off of ≥1, height score was 99.5 percent sensitive and 85.9 percent specific for HTS. The results indicate that burn clinicians do not routinely use the VSS and perceptions vary widely regarding what constitutes HTS. When a dichotomous variable is needed, the VSS height score with a cut-off of ≥1 may be optimal. The findings underscore the need for an objective tool to reproducibly characterize HTS across burn centers.

Author(s):


Thompson, Callie M., Sood, Ravi F., Honari, Shari, Carrougher, Gretchen J., Gibran, Nicole S.

Participating Centers: