Improved clinical outcomes in pressure ulcer prevention using the SEM scanner.

OBJECTIVE: An in-practice evaluation of an sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) scanner, to detect non-visible pressure damage, allowing appropriate, targeted pressure ulcer (PU) prevention interventions. METHOD: The evaluation included patients on a single medical-surgical ward over a period of two months. RESULTS: The evaluation included 35 patients. The outcomes of the evaluation suggest that the SEM scanner provided objective evidence that both the interventions being employed and the increase in repositioning and assessment prevented further incipient skin damage. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the early detection of non-visible tissue injury using the SEM scanner as an adjunct to the usual PU risk assessment strategies can reduce PU incidence, leading to improved patient outcomes and released productivity.