title: Practice guidelines for early ambulation of burn survivors after lower extremity grafts.
abstract: The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the available clinical evidence for early ambulation of burn survivors after lower extremity skin grafting procedures so that practice guidelines could be proposed. It provides evidence-based recommendations, specifically for the rehabilitation interventions required for early ambulation of burn survivors. These guidelines are designed to assist all healthcare providers who are responsible for initiating and supporting the ambulation and rehabilitation of burn survivors after lower extremity grafting. Summary recommendations were made after the literature, retrieved by systematic review, was critically appraised and the level of evidence determined according to Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria. A formal consensus exercise was performed to address some of the identified gaps in the literature which were believed to be critical building blocks of clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nedelec
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Serghiou
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niszczak
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Healey
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D004434:Early Ambulation / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011792:Quebec; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D017741:Survivors; D016896:Treatment Outcome