Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices for the Management of Lymphedema: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines

There is no cure for lymphedema. The complex decongestive therapy (CDT) is a multimodal therapy, which is recognized as a conservative management of lymphedema and consists of compression therapy (i.e., multilayer bandaging), manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), exercise and skin care. Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) can be used in the treatment of lymphedema as an adjunct to CDT, particularly in patients with compromised mobility or physical exercise. Although lymphedema reduces after application, the use of IPC remains controversial due to its adverse effects, including the recurrence of edema due to residual proteins remaining in the interstitial space, and potential lymphatic structure damage due to high pressure application.

The aim of this report is to review the clinical effectiveness and evidence-based guidelines on the use of IPC devices for adult patients with primary and secondary lymphedema in any setting.

Contents

• Context and Policy Issues
• Research Questions
• Key Findings
• Methods
  • Literature Search Methods
  • Selection Criteria and Methods
  • Exclusion Criteria
  • Critical Appraisal of Individual Studies
• Summary of Evidence
  • Quantity of Research Available
  • Summary of Study Characteristics
  • Summary of Critical Appraisal
  • Summary of Findings
  • Limitations
• Conclusions and Implications for Decision or Policy Making
• References
• Appendix 1. Selection of Included Studies
• Appendix 2. Characteristics of Included Studies
• Appendix 3. Quality Assessment of Included Studies
• Appendix 4. Main Study Findings and Author’s Conclusions

Suggested citation:

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices for the Management of Lymphedema: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines. Ottawa: CADTH; 2017 May (CADTH rapid response report: summary with critical appraisal).

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