Exercise training for improving outcomes post-burns: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Burn Care

Background:

• Burns significantly impact physical, physiological, and psychological well-being.
• Exercise is a potential modality for improving outcomes in post-burn patients.
• Evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of exercise interventions post-burn requires synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effectiveness of various exercise modalities in post-burn patients.
• To evaluate the safety of exercise-based interventions following burns.
• To synthesize current evidence on exercise's impact on physical, physiological, and psychological outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases up to October 2017.
• Keywords included "burn" and "exercise" and their synonyms.
• Nineteen articles reporting on exercise interventions and outcomes in post-burn patients were included and assessed for quality.

Main Results:

• Exercise interventions did not show significant differences in VO2peak, resting energy expenditure, or muscle strength.
• Evidence suggests beneficial effects of exercise on body composition (g=0.59, P=0.03) and reduced need for surgical contracture release (RR=0.34, P=0.004).
• Exercise positively impacted health-related quality of life, but evidence on safety remains limited.

Conclusions:

• Limited evidence indicates exercise benefits physical and physiological outcomes in post-burn patients.
• Further high-quality trials are necessary to confirm these benefits.
• Future research should prioritize reporting adverse events, quality of life, and psychological outcomes.