Medical Student Research Forum Posters

The prescription of splints (orthoses) to help protect vulnerable structures and maintain range of motion after skin grafting surgery is an integral part of burn recovery. The degree to which a patient adheres to wearing a prescribed orthosis is believed to play a major role in outcome. Oftentimes however, an orthosis is uncomfortable or undesirable to wear thus affecting a patient’s adherence. At our burn center, while the patient is in ICU, orthosis application and wear is heavily dependent on staff. During care on the acute ward, the responsibility is shared by family and staff. In outpatient (OP), the patient and caregiver are primarily responsible for orthotic wear adherence. The purpose of our study was to use temperature sensors to objectively determine patient adherence with splints during the three different stages of burn recovery.