Role In Development Of Pressure Ulcers Research Articles

The incidence of pressure ulcer in patients on mechanical ventilation andeffects of selected risk factors on pressure ulcer development.

This study aimed to determine the incidence of pressure ulcers in patients on mechanical ventilation and selected risk factors likely to play a role in pressure ulcer development. The study included 110 patients recruited from an anesthesia critical care unit of a university hospital. Data were collected with a demographic and clinical characteristics form. The form was composed of questions about demographic characteristics and clinical features including diagnosis, duration of mechanical ventilation, general well-being, oxygenation, perfusion, and skin condition. The incidence of pressure ulcer was 15.5%. Duration of mechanical ventilation was longer and the body mass index was higher in patients developing pressure ulcers than in those without pressure ulcers. Additionally, 90.11% of patients with pressure ulcers had edema and 82.35% of patients with pressure ulcers received vasopressin. The patients with pressure ulcers had higher PH levels, lower PaO2 levels, higher PCO2 levels, lower SaO2 levels, and higher urine output. It can be recommended that nurses and other health professionals should be aware of factors playing a role in pressure ulcer development and should be able to conduct appropriate interventions to prevent pressure ulcers.

Deep Tissue Injury in Development of Pressure Ulcers: A Decrease of Inflammasome Activation and Changes in Human Skin Morphology in Response to Aging and Mechanical Load

Molecular mechanisms leading to pressure ulcer development are scarce in spite of high mortality of patients. Development of pressure ulcers that is initially observed as deep tissue injury is multifactorial. We postulate that biomechanical forces and inflammasome activation, together with ischemia and aging, may play a role in pressure ulcer development. To test this we used a newly-developed bio-mechanical model in which ischemic young and aged human skin was subjected to a constant physiological compressive stress (load) of 300 kPa (determined by pressure plate analyses of a person in a reclining position) for 0.5–4 hours. Collagen orientation was assessed using polarized light, whereas inflammasome proteins were quantified by immunoblotting. Loaded skin showed marked changes in morphology and NLRP3 inflammasome protein expression. Sub-epidermal separations and altered orientation of collagen fibers were observed in aged skin at earlier time points. Aged skin showed significant decreases in the levels of NLRP3 inflammasome proteins. Loading did not alter NLRP3 inflammasome proteins expression in aged skin, whereas it significantly increased their levels in young skin. We conclude that aging contributes to rapid morphological changes and decrease in inflammasome proteins in response to tissue damage, suggesting that a decline in the innate inflammatory response in elderly skin could contribute to pressure ulcer pathogenesis. Observed morphological changes suggest that tissue damage upon loading may not be entirely preventable. Furthermore, newly developed model described here may be very useful in understanding the mechanisms of deep tissue injury that may lead towards development of pressure ulcers.

Relationship Between Morphological Characteristics and Etiology of Pressure Ulcers in Intensive Care Unit Patients

Pressure ulcer (PU) prevention is crucial for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit, but etiologic factors leading to their development have not yet been completely elucidated. This study explores the relationships among etiologic factors, interventional nursing care, and morphological characteristics of PUs in intensive care unit patients. We used a qualitative exploratory method to link morphological characteristics of specific PUs to etiologic factors. Details of individual PUs were described by sketching the PU photograph and categorized to characterize the morphology of PUs. After identification of characteristics, the development process was evaluated by in-depth review of medical records. The morphological characteristics of 30 PUs were organized into 4 categories. This process revealed a type of PU not previously described, which we labeled "leaf-type." These PUs were located on the lower sacrum, rhombic-oval in shape, and characterized by purpura and PU wrinkles. Possible etiologic factors for the specific PUs were divided into 4 categories: (1) the occurrence of PU risk episodes, (2) failure of the peripheral circulation, (3) periods of critical immobility, and (4) position change techniques inducing skin deformation. PU can be categorized into 4 morphological types, including a new category of leaf-shaped PU. We found that frequently repeated position changes such as lateral tilt and repeated head elevation caused deformation of the sacral skin that may play a role in PU development.

Pressure ulcers and nutrition: a new European guideline

The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) has developed a new practice guideline covering the role of nutrition in pressure ulcer prevention and treatment. This guideline highlights that until now there has been no strong scientific evidence of a direct relationship between poor nutrition and pressure ulceration. Nevertheless, mal nutrition is considered to play a role in pressure ulcer development and healing.

Pressure ulcers in intensive care patients: a review of risks and prevention.

Review of the literature concerning pressure ulcers in the intensive care setting. DATA SOURCE AND STUDY SELECTIONS: Computerized databases (Medline from 1980 until 1999 and CINAHL from 1982 until 1999). The indexing terms for article retrieval were: "pressure ulcers", "pressure sores", "decubitus", and "intensive care". Nineteen articles met the selection criteria, and seven more were found from the references of these articles. One thesis was also analyzed. Data on prevention, incidence, and costs of pressure ulcers in ICU patients are scarce. Overall there are no conclusive studies on the identification of pressure ulcer risk factors. None of the existing risk-assessment scales was developed especially for use in ICU patients. It is highly questionable to what extent these scales can be used in this setting as they are not even reliable in "standard care". The following risk factors might play a role in pressure ulcer development: duration of surgery and number of operations, fecal incontinence and/or diarrhea, low preoperative protein and albumin concentrations, disturbed sensory perception, moisture of the skin, impaired circulation, use of inotropic drugs, diabetes mellitus, too unstable to turn, decreased mobility, and high APACHE II score. The number of patients per study ranged from 5 from 638. The definition of "pressure ulcer" varied widely between authors or was not mentioned. Meaningful comparison cannot be made between the various studies because of the use of different grading systems for pressure ulcers, different methods of data collection, different (or lack of) population characteristics, unreported preventive measures, and the use of different inclusion and exclusion criteria. There is a need for well-conducted studies covering all these aspects.

The Effect of A Dynamic Pressure-Redistributing Bed Support Surface upon Systemic Lymph Flow and Composition

Introduction:It has been postulated that lymphatic insufficiency may have a key role in pressure ulcer development. Our hypothesis is that the particular dynamic action of the Airwave mattress directly improves lymphatic circulation compared to conventional hospital mattresses.Methods: Seven anesthetized sheep (40-48 kg) prepared with chronic prefemoral lymph fistulas and vascular catheters were first placed on a standard hospital mattress. Following 30 minutes of equilibration, a 2 hr control period was started measuring lymph flow and vascular pressures. The standard mattress was then exchanged for an active Airwave mattress (Pegasus Egerton, Ltd.) and after 30 minutes of equilibration monitored as above. After 2.5 hr, the support surface was then switched back to the standard mattress and monitored as before. Data are mean ± sem.Results: Initially, on the standard mattress, lymph flow was 1.0 ± 0.2 ml/30 min and increased significantly more than 3 fold on the Airwave mattress to 3.7 ± 0.7 ml/30 min. Upon return to the standard mattress, lymph flow decreased to 1.2 ± 0.2 ml/30 min. Hemodynamic variables and arterial blood gases were constant. Lymphatic protein transport increased significantly from 1.3 ± 0.3 µg/min to 4.3 ± 1.0 µg/min when placed on the test mattress and decreased when returned to the standard mattress to 1.3 ± 0.2 µg/min. Similar rates of lymph flow were seen upon a variant of the Airwave mattress (Cairwave Therapy System).Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that the Airwave's action increased the lymph flow compared to a standard hospital mattress. The dynamic cycle may act to aid the pumping action of lymphatics by reducing pressure which would otherwise collapse and compress lymphatics leading to local edema and tissue swelling.