Nursing outcomes of traditional Chinese medicine adjunctive therapy on osteofascial compartment syndrome: a review

Abstract The rate of disability due to acute osteofascial compartment syndrome (OCS) is high, and the therapeutic effect of decompressive fasciotomy is not ideal. This paper retrospectively reviews the modern treatment of OCS, including Western medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), mainly in the context of the advantages of TCM in the treatment process of decompressive fasciotomy or conservative treatment to the patients who are suffering from OCS. It was found that TCM treatment reduced the levels of serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST); it is beneficial to the elimination of swelling and pain. TCM adjunctive therapy promotes patients’ postoperative functional recovery and decreases the occurrence of fasciotomy in patients; TCM can relieve tissue hypoxia of compartments and prevent necrosis of muscle and nerve tissue. TCM treatment improves the quality of medical service and ensures the safety of OCS patients. This paper aims to summarize the function of TCM in the treatment of OCS, provide reference for the clinical treatment of OCS, and improve the nursing/medical outcomes of OCS.