A rare location for a common problem: popliteal pressure ulcer

Pressure ulcer is defined as localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear. The most frequent sites for pressure ulcers are the occiput, sacrum, ischial tuberosities, trochanters, lateral malleoli and posterior heels. Herein, we present a case of grade III pressure ulcer seen in popliteal region which is an unusual localisation that is rarely seen in the literature. An awareness of this unusual localisation of pressure ulcer is necessary to prevent decrease in quality of life, particularly in the wheelchair‐dependent population.     

Comparing 4- and 6-week post-flap protocols in patients with spinal cord injury

Objective: For patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) who undergo flap surgery to treat pressure injuries (PIs), the optimal duration of post-operative bedrest to promote healing and successful remobilization to sitting is unknown. At the study center, the minimum duration of post-operative bedrest was changed from 4 to 6 weeks. The purpose of this study is to compare outcomes of patients who underwent flap surgery using bedrest protocols of different duration.Design: This was a retrospective review of all flap procedures completed at VA Puget Sound Health Care System from 1997 to 2016 to treat PIs in patients with SCI. Surgeries were excluded if they were not a flap (i.e. primary skin closure or graft), involved a non-pelvic region, or were a same-hospitalization revision of a prior surgery. The primary outcome of this investigation was the number of days between surgery and the first time the patient mobilized to sitting out of bed for 2 h with an intact surgical incision.Methods: 190 patients received a total of 286 flap surgeries from 1994 to 2016. A chart review of each case was completed to determine the planned duration of bedrest (4- vs 6-weeks), first date of successful mobilization out of bed for 2 h, length of stay post-surgery, and occurrence of complications such as dehiscence or need for operative revisions.Results: Among 286 primary surgeries, 171 surgeries used the 4-week protocol and 115 used the 6-week protocol. When compared to the 4-week protocol, patients treated with the 6-week protocol were slightly older, more likely to have a diagnosis of diabetes, and less likely to be current smokers. Healing was never achieved after 4 surgeries in the 4-week group and 2 surgeries in the 6-week group. With the analysis restricted to a single surgery per subject who achieved healing (109 treated with 4-week protocol and 75 with 6-week protocol), there was a significant difference in days until 2-h sitting: median 54 days for the 4-week protocol compared to 60 days for the 6-week protocol (p = 0.041). Up to about 60 days post-operatively, the 4-week protocol produced a greater proportion remobilized to sitting, and thereafter the proportion of patients successfully remobilized did not differ between protocols.Conclusions: The 6-week protocol was not associated with improved remobilization outcomes (reduced rates of dehiscence or surgical revisions), and the 4-week protocol resulted in a significantly shorter time to remobilization to sitting for 2 h as well as a shorter length of stay. We did not identify any subgroup of patients that benefited from the longer protocol.     

银锌霜治疗褥疮的疗效观察及护理

目的探讨银锌霜治疗II期以上褥疮的疗效及护理方法。方法将42例III、III、V期褥疮患者随机分为两组,观察组21例,采用清创、吹氧、银锌霜湿敷治疗;对照组21例,采用清创、吹氧、敷料包扎治疗。结果总有效率观察组为95.65%,对照组为72.73%,两组比较有显著性差异(χ2=25.32,P<0.05)。褥疮治愈时间观察组为(15±10.5)d,对照组为(42±17.5)d,两组比较差异有高度显著性(t=6.21,P<0.01)。结论银锌霜治疗II期以上褥疮效果显著。     

The prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers in hospitalised patients in the Netherlands: a prospective inception cohort study

BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers frequently occur in hospitalised patients. The prevalence of pressure ulcers grade 2 or worse varies from 3% to 12% in hospitalised patients. Incidence figures are not frequently reported. While incidence and prevalence are both measures of disease frequency, they provide different perspectives on pressure ulcers. OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence rate and prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospitalised patients. DESIGN: Prospective inception cohort study. SETTING: Two large hospitals, one general (530-beds) and one teaching (1042-beds), in The Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: A non-selected, though not strictly random, sample of 1536 patients was eligible for inclusion in the study. One thousand four hundred and thirty one patients (93.2%) consented to participate. Eventually, 1229 patients (80%) had a complete follow-up. The sample consisted of patients admitted to the surgical, internal, neurological and geriatric wards for more than 5 days between January 1999 and June 2000. METHODS: Follow-up once a week until pressure ulcer occurrence, discharge or length of stay over 12 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Occurrence of a pressure ulcer grade 2 or worse during admission to hospital, according to the classification of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty four patients developed 172 pressure ulcers during follow-up. The overall weekly incidence rate was 0.06 per week (95% confidence interval 0.05-0.07 per week). Highest rates were observed for surgical patients and lowest for geriatric and neurologic patients (0.08 and 0.02, respectively). The week specific prevalence varied between 12.8% and 20.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients hospitalised for more than 5 days overall one may expect 6% per week to develop pressure ulcers. It would appear that any preventive measures can only be effective if taken timely. Accordingly, preventive measures should be considered early, because pressure ulcers were observed already within the first week of admission.     

The clinical relevance of the waterlow pressure sore risk scale in the ICU

Objective: To evaluate whether the Waterlow pressure sore risk (PSR) scale has prognostic significance for intensive care patients. Design: A prospective study. Setting: The surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Hospital Rotterdam. Patients: Data were evaluated from 594 patients who had been admitted to the ICU during the year 1994. Methods and results: Each patient was assessed daily with respect to their Waterlow PSR score and the development of pressure sores in the sacral region. Actuarial statistical methods were used to analyse the predictive value of the risk score. When a patient had a Waterlow PSR score > 25 on admission, the risk of developing a pressure sore was significantly increased compared to patients with a PSR score < 25. After admission, the daily Waterlow PSR scores obtained were significantly associated with the risk of developing a pressure sore. For each additional point this risk increased by 23 % (95 % confidence interval 17 to 28 %). Conclusions: The Waterlow PSR scale provides the medical and nursing staff at an early stage with reliable information about the risk patients have in developing a pressure sore. Received: 8 August 1997 Accepted: 24 April 1998     

Perda visual conversiva em pós‐operatório de cirurgia de coluna: relato de caso

Background and objective

Patients undergoing spinal surgeries may develop postoperative visual loss. We present a case of total bilateral visual loss in a patient who, despite having clinical and surgical risk factors for organic lesion, evolved with visual disturbance due to conversion disorder.

负压封闭引流术结合生肌膏外敷治疗褥疮的病例对照研究

目的:探讨负压封闭引流术(VSD)结合生肌膏外敷治疗重度褥疮的疗效。方法:自2009年6月至2013年6月治疗Ⅲ、Ⅳ度褥疮29例,采用VSD技术结合生肌膏外敷治疗15例(VSD组),男7例,女8例;年龄17~96岁,平均(69.0±5.3)岁。常规换药治疗14例(对照组),男6例,女8例;年龄40~86岁,平均(71.0±4.2)岁。分别于治疗后7、14、21、28 d,分别取两组创面标本,采用SABC法进行免疫组化CD34检测,高倍镜下观察镜野内血管交叉的数目,作为毛细血管密度值,用来评定创面组织肉芽增生情况。以毛细血管密度值和肉眼观察创面为指标,进行临床疗效评价。结果:29例中7、14、21、28 d创面标本资料完整的17例,其中VSD组9例,对照组8例,镜野内VSD组毛细血管密度值比对照组高,表明应用VSD技术肉芽组织增生比常规换药快得多。VSD组治愈13例(15处),好转2例(3处);对照组治愈3例(3处),好转7例(9处),未愈4例(5处)。结论:采用VSD技术持续高负压吸引彻底清除创面及腔隙内的渗液,可有效控制感染,促进肉芽组织生长,再外敷生肌膏,改善局部血供的同时,使新生肉芽及上皮细胞生长迅速。治疗过程风险小,疗程短,为临床治疗褥疮提供了一种安全、有效的新方法。     

瑰及乳膏联合特定电磁波治疗器治疗Ⅱ期压疮的效果观察

目的探讨瑰及乳膏联合特定电磁波治疗器(TDP)照射治疗Ⅱ期压疮的疗效。方法将46例压疮患者分为2组,观察组27例,常规清创消毒后用自制瑰及乳膏外敷联合TDP照射;对照组19例,创面用庆大霉素液湿敷。比较2组患者治疗1周、2周后的疗效。结果观察组治疗1周、2周后显效率为89%和94%,对照组显效率为54%和73%,观察组显效率高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论在常规护理基础上采用自制瑰及乳膏联合TDP照射治疗压疮操作简单,效果显著。     

Long-term prevention of pressure ulcers in high-risk patients: a single case study of the use of gluteal neuromuscular electric stimulation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of gluteal neuromuscular electric stimulation (NMES) using implanted percutaneous electrodes to improve regional tissue health and decrease the risk of pressure ulcer development. DESIGN: Case study of long-term use of gluteal NMES. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANT: A patient with a C4-level American Spinal Injury Association grade A spinal cord injury, 22 years postinjury at study enrollment, and a clinical history of regular grade II and occasional IV ischial pressure ulcers. INTERVENTION: Gluteal NMES using an electric stimulation system comprising a combination of implanted percutaneous electrodes and an external stimulator (controller). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Objective measurements of tissue health comprising evaluation of gluteal muscle thickness, interface pressures, and regional blood flow. Subjective self-reported sitting tolerance. RESULTS: Increased gluteal muscle thickness and blood flow together with reduced regional interface pressures occurred. Weight-shifting because of alternating left and right gluteal NMES became more effective over time as the muscles strengthened. Sitting tolerance more than doubled. CONCLUSIONS: A gluteal NMES system has been developed that provides both improved regional tissue health and dynamic weight shifting while seated in the wheelchair. In the current case, regular daily use had a positive impact on multiple indirect indicators of tissue health. Continued use was indicated as the positive effects were lost when stimulation was discontinued.     

Intervention studies for prevention of pressure ulcers in Turkey: a literature review

AIM: To examine critically the literature published in the Turkish language (1955-2004) related to risk assessment tool(s), their application to nursing care and prevention of pressure ulcers (PrUs). Specific objectives were to identify the advantages of risk assessment and prevention of PrUs in hospital; to establish the most valid and reliable methods available to evaluate the effectiveness of PrU prevention programmes; to determine methodological problems encountered by researchers and explore how these were overcome; and to present the findings so they could be used to develop a valid and reliable audit tool based upon the empirical evidence. METHODS: All journals and convention booklets published in Turkey related to nursing between the years 1955-2004 were examined. Because many journals in Turkey are not yet available by electronic means, the published Turkish articles were all examined by hand. A total of 3031 articles in 17 nursing journals and 36 congress books (convention booklets) were examined. Five articles were found to meet the study criteria and were taken into the study and evaluated. CONCLUSION: There is a need to determine valid and reliable assessment methods, and the results need to be recorded on standard forms. In addition, it is important to increase the motivation of nursing personnel who give direct patient care to use the tools available in order to prevent the development of PrUs. From the review findings it is apparent that in Turkey, there is a dearth of research evidence upon which to base practice in the sphere of PrU prevention, and further research is urgently required.