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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Mar-Apr;22(2):277-85.
doi: 10.1590/0104-1169.3238.2413.

Assessment of techniques of massage and pumping in the treatment of breast engorgement by thermography

[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]
Anita Batista dos Santos Heberle  1 , Marcos Antônio Muniz de Moura  2 , Mauren Abreu de Souza  3 , Percy Nohama  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Assessment of techniques of massage and pumping in the treatment of breast engorgement by thermography

[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]
Anita Batista dos Santos Heberle et al. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2014 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate techniques of massage and pumping in the treatment of postpartum breast engorgement through thermography.

Method: the study was conducted in the Human Milk Bank of a hospital in Curitiba, Brazil. We randomly selected 16 lactating women with engorgement with the classification lobar, ampullary and glandular, moderate and intense. We compared the differential patterns of temperature, before and after the treatment by means of massage and pumping.

Results: we found a negative gradient of 0.3°C of temperature between the pre- and post-treatment in the experimental group. Breasts with intense engorgement were 0.7°C warmer when compared with moderate engorgement.

Conclusion: massage and electromechanical pumping were superior to manual methods when evaluated by thermography.

Rebec: U1111-1136-9027.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of the temperature between breasts with moderate and intense engorgement before treatment, among the two groups
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photograph (a) and thermogram (b) of the left breast of a lactating woman with moderate glandular engorgement (palette Rain 900), showing the Haller vascular network
Figure 3
Figure 3
In A, thermograms with intense globular BE. The images showed three tonalities of gray as follows: dark gray (colder temperature), medium gray (intermediate temperature) and light gray (warmer temperature). One observes the large thermal concentration in axillary and inframammary regions. In B, the breasts filled after treatment and there was an ejection reflex (small arrow, below the white arrow). Already the nipple (white arrow), presented itself with pallor, decreased perfusion and mild edema by use of the pumping machine
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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