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Post-operative dressing use in lower limb amputees: reasons for and against use

Year:
2020
Duration:
23 months
Approved budget:
$37,940.00
Researchers:
Dr Dawn Adair
Health issue:
Other (generic health or health services)
Proposal type:
Health Delivery Research Development Award
Lay summary
Lower limb amputation can result from non-traumatic causes or traumatic causes. Two main types of dressings can be applied after a lower limb amputation - soft and rigid dressings. These dressings deliver a degree of compression in order to reduce stump swelling and help to prepare and shape the stump for prosthetic fitting. Rigid removable dressings (RRD) introduced in 1979 by Wu et al. demonstrated improved healing and oedema control as well as reduced time to first prosthetic fitting as compared to soft dressings. Internationally and locally, RRD use is supported by amputee pathway guidelines. Despite this there is little to no use of RRD at Counties Manukau DHB. Understanding the views and opinions of dressing use after lower amputation across the multi-disciplinary team is vital in the ongoing implementation of the amputee pathway as well as the provision of optimal care for all amputees.