Standardizing the classification of skin tears: validity and reliability testing of the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel Classification System in 44 countries.

BACKGROUND: Skin tears are acute wounds that are frequently misdiagnosed and under-reported. A standardized and globally adopted skin tear classification system with supporting evidence for diagnostic validity and reliability is required to allow assessment and reporting in a consistent way. OBJECTIVES: To measure the validity and reliability of the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP) Classification System internationally. METHODS: A multicountry study was set up to validate the content of the ISTAP Classification System through expert consultation in a two-round Delphi procedure involving 17 experts from 11 countries. An online survey including 24 skin tear photographs was conducted in a convenience sample of 1601 healthcare professionals from 44 countries to measure diagnostic accuracy, agreement, inter-rater reliability and intrarater reliability of the instrument. RESULTS: A definition for the concept of a 'skin flap' in the area of skin tears was developed and added to the initial ISTAP Classification System consisting of three skin tear types. The overall agreement with the reference standard was 0·79 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·79-0·80] and sensitivity ranged from 0·74 (95% CI 0·73-0·75) to 0·88 (95% CI 0·87-0·88). The inter-rater reliability was 0·57 (95% CI 0·57-0·57). The Cohen's Kappa measuring intrarater reliability was 0·74 (95% CI 0·73-0·75). CONCLUSIONS: The ISTAP Classification System is supported by evidence for validity and reliability. The ISTAP Classification System should be used for systematic assessment and reporting of skin tears in clinical practice and research globally. What's already known about this topic? Skin tears are common acute wounds that are misdiagnosed and under-reported too often. A skin tear classification system is needed to standardize documentation and description for clinical practice, audit and research. What does this study add? The International Skin Tear Advisory Panel Classification System was psychometrically tested in 1601 healthcare professionals from 44 countries. Diagnostic accuracy was high when differentiating between type 1, 2 and 3 skin tears using a set of validated photographs.

Comparison of 2 wound volume measurement methods.

OBJECTIVE: To compare 2 wound volume measurement techniques, the Kundin device and stereophotogrammetry, on 2 wound shapes. DESIGN: Using 2 wound measurement techniques, the interrater and intrarater reliability and the bias and standard error of measurement of an L-shaped and a pear-shaped plaster of paris wound model were assessed. SETTING: A clinical laboratory of a school of nursing. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four raters, all but 2 being registered nurses, measured each of the wounds using both techniques. INTERVENTIONS: Each rater measured each wound twice using each method in a randomly assigned order defined on a card that was drawn from a box. Measurements were recorded on a researcher-designed data collection form, which included some demographic data related to each participant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study hypothesis was that there would be no significant difference in accuracy between the 2 wound volume measurement methods. RESULTS: The least biased and most accurate technique was stereophotogrammetry, with the smallest standard of error of measurement. Interrater reliability of average ratings was identical for both methods at 0.98. For single ratings, stereophotogrammetry was slightly higher than the Kundin device. Intrarater reliability was higher on the pear-shaped wound for the Kundin device, which had lower interrater reliability, suggesting that nurses were consistent in the direction and size of personal error. Intrarater reliability for stereophotogrammetry was identical to that of the Kundin device for the L-shaped wound and lower for the pear-shaped wound. CONCLUSIONS: Although both techniques have acceptable accuracy, stereophotogrammetry is more accurate and has more clinical applications.

The lived experience of having a pressure ulcer: a qualitative analysis.

In this descriptive, qualitative, phenomenological study, the researchers explored the phenomena of the lived experience of having a pressure ulcer to determine the essential structure of the experience. The sample included 8 respondents: 4 individuals who currently had a pressure ulcer and 4 who previously had a pressure ulcer that had healed. Four respondents also had a spinal cord injury and 5 had surgical flap reconstruction. Respondents were asked to reflect and reply to the following statements: "Please describe your experience of having a pressure ulcer. Share all the thoughts, perceptions, and feelings you can recall until you have no more to say about this experience." From verbatim transcriptions of interviews, 7 themes evolved with related sub-themes. The themes that emerged were (1) perceived etiology of the pressure ulcer; (2) life impact and changes; (3) psychospiritual impact; (4) extreme painfulness associated with the pressure ulcer; (5) need for knowledge and understanding; (6) need for and effect of numerous, stressful treatments; and (7) the grieving process. In this paper, the essential nature of the experience of living with a pressure ulcer is presented. Pressure ulcers had a profound impact upon the subjects' lives, including physical, social, and financial status; change of body image; and/or loss of independence and control. Those with a Stage IV pressure ulcer and flap repair and/or those with a spinal cord injury experienced the grieving process in some form. Although the experience of having a pressure ulcer has similarities for each individual, each experiences it in a unique manner. Patients with a pressure ulcer with or without a spinal cord injury have significant needs in learning to cope and live with their condition.

Venous ulcers: etiology and care of patients treated with human skin equivalent grafts.

Care for a patient with a venous ulcer is complex, necessitating collaboration of a multidisciplinary team to achieve the goal of providing comprehensive wound care and optimally managing complications, current conditions, and healing time. Patients often have venous ulcers for a long time, and they frequently have multiple diagnoses. Chronic ulcers that do not heal necessitate closure with a graft. Apligraf, (Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp, East Hanover, NJ), a human skin equivalent, is often used in nonhealing or difficult-to-heal ulcers. Knowledge of how to care for the grafted wound and protection of the grafted site is essential.

Clinical evaluation of an automated turning bed.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to assess client comfort and sleep quality, client physiologic response (skin and respiratory status), the effect on the need for caregiver assistance, and cost when using an automated turning bed. DESIGN: Nonexperimental, evaluative study. SAMPLE: Twenty-four adult home or long-term care resident subjects who had a degenerative disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, or back surgery. METHODS: Each subject agreed to use the automated turning bed for four weeks. Researchers completed a demographic survey and skin assessment, and assessed each subject for pressure ulcer risk and for the need of assistance of a care giver for turning before and after the four weeks of using the turning bed. Subjects rated the turning bed in terms of comfort and sleep quality. FINDINGS: Subjects rated the turning bed as more comfortable than their own bed and expressed satisfaction at the pain relief attained when on the turning bed. While using the turning bed, there was a significant improvement in sleep quality. No skin breakdown or deterioration in respiratory status occurred. Fewer subjects required the assistance of a caregiver for turning when on the turning bed. CONCLUSION: This automated turning bed shows great promise in meeting a need for patients with limited mobility whether they are homebound or in a residential community. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING RESEARCH: Future studies that further investigate use of the turning bed for postoperative back patients while still in the acute care setting are indicated. Replicative studies with a larger sample size are also indicated.

Prevalence, incidence, and prediction of pressure ulcers on a rehabilitation unit.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective chart review study was conducted to determine the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers, and the contribution of known risk factors toward the predicted occurrence of pressure ulcers in a long-term rehabilitation setting. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: A continuous series of 170 adult men with a mean age of 69.2 years were studied during a 1-year period. METHODS: Patient charts were reviewed retrospectively for risk factors and documentation of pressure ulcer development by 1 researcher on a data recording form. RESULTS: The pressure ulcer prevalence was 12% and the incidence over the 1-year observation period 6%. Using the odds ratio test, significant risk factors in the sample were identified as hypoalbuminemia (odds ratio = 11:1), low diastolic blood pressure (odds ratio = 4.6:1), stool and urine incontinence (odds ratio = 1.5:1), and peripheral edema (odds ratio = 3.5:1). CONCLUSION: Specific characteristics in this sample of patients in a long-term rehabilitation center contributed to the increased risk for pressure ulcer development. Risk assessment based on knowledge of specific risk factors, prevention, and early intervention is crucial to lowering the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers in this setting.

Pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence and a modification of the Braden Scale for a rehabilitation unit.

PURPOSE: We examined pressure ulcer incidence and prevalence, the cutoff score for risk for skin breakdown, and the contribution of each of the subscale risk factors of the Braden pressure ulcer risk-assessment tool in an inpatient rehabilitation unit. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: One hundred seventy adult men hospitalized on a rehabilitation unit during 1 calendar year were included in the research. Subject ages ranged from 35 to 99 years (M = 69). INSTRUMENTS: Pressure ulcer risk was assessed using the Braden Scale. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of a continuous series of 170 adult male patients hospitalized during a 1-year period on a 50-bed rehabilitation unit was conducted. Data were documented on a standardized researcher-designed form. RESULTS: A total of 46 pressure ulcers occurred, with the sacrum the most common location (46%), followed closely by the heel-ankle area (44%, n = 20). Most pressure ulcers (57%) were stage II, 24% were stage I, 15% stage III, and 4% stage IV. When using a cutoff score of 16, the Braden Scale demonstrated limited usefulness in predicting pressure ulcer development on our inpatient rehabilitation unit. Further calculations were completed, and a cutoff score of 18 or higher was found to provide better predictive value. With use of multiple logistic regression analysis, three of the six risk factors from the Braden Scale were found to significantly contribute to risk for pressure ulcer development in this sample: moisture, nutrition, and friction and shear. Therefore a modified Braden Scale was developed, with a possible range of scores from 3 to 11; the cutoff score was 8, sensitivity was 52%, and specificity 66%. CONCLUSIONS: The mean prevalence rate of 12% was comparable, and the incidence rate of 6% for this unit was lower, compared with other skilled care and rehabilitation settings reported in the literature. The proactive, interdisciplinary approach to skin integrity on this unit likely contributed to the lower incidence rate. Risk factors most predictive of pressure ulcer development in this sample were moisture, nutrition, and friction and shear. Predicting risk for skin breakdown with use of a consistent risk-assessment tool is essential for all rehabilitation patients. Assessing risk with the Braden Scale merits further research.

Two-dimensional wound measurement: comparison of 4 techniques.

Two- and three-dimensional wound measurement techniques are documented in the literature and used clinically, as well as in research. The purpose of this study was to compare 4 two-dimensional wound measurement techniques: linear length and width using a ruler, planimetry, computerized stereophotogrammetry (SPG) length and width, and computerized SPG area. Three plaster of Paris wound models were developed and baseline measurements of outer wound perimeters obtained via a Coordinate Measuring Machine. The convenience sample of raters included 66 upper-division baccalaureate nursing students, graduate nursing students, nursing staff, and wound care nurses. Each rater measured each wound twice in a randomly assigned order of methods written on a card drawn from an envelope. The least biased technique was the computer area, followed in order by the computer length and width, planimetry, and ruler length and width. The most accurate technique, given multiple raters, was determined by the standard error of measurement. The smallest standard error of measurement, thus the most accurate, was the computer area technique, followed in order by the ruler length and width, computer length and width, and planimetry. Interrater reliability of average ratings was high; only the SPG area measurements for single ratings were reliable enough for clinical or research purposes. Intrarater reliability was high for methods with low interrater reliability, suggesting that nurses are consistent in the direction of personal error.

Decreasing the prevalence of pressure ulcers using agency standards.

Home care patients either have or are at high risk for pressure ulcers. This article describes the outcome of a study that examined the effects of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment standards on the prevalence rate of a home healthcare agency's client caseload. Implications for practice and further research also are discussed.

Changes in occipital capillary perfusion pressures during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

This study compared tissue interface pressures (TIPs) on the occiput of 25 volunteer patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Pressures were measured using the Gaymar pressure gauge and electropneumatic sensor before and after induction of anesthesia, after the patient was placed on the cardiopulmonary bypass pump, every 30 minutes throughout the procedure, immediately after the patient came off the pump, and before the incision was closed. Significant differences were found over time on mean TIPs and mean arterial pressures (MAPs). Pre-induction mean TIP was significantly higher than TIPs recorded on-pump, post-pump, and prior to closure. The highest average MAPs were at pre-induction; these were significantly higher than MAPs recorded at all other times. The TIPs recorded during surgery were high enough to put the patient at risk for circulation impairment and pressure ulcer development. Therefore, we recommend repositioning patients' heads regularly during surgery and assessing skin postoperatively for alopecia and pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcer incidence in an acute care setting.

The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the incidence of pressure ulcers and to examine factors related to pressure ulcer development in patients in an acute care setting. Adult medical and surgical patients who were free of pressure ulcers at admission were assessed within 36 hours of admission and then three times per week for 2 weeks or until discharge. Instruments included a demographic data form, a skin assessment form, and the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk. Most subjects had 46 assessments completed. The sample consisted of 149 subjects, with a pressure ulcer incidence rate of 13.4% (n = 20). Subjects who acquired pressure ulcers had lower hemoglobin levels (t = 2.17, p = 0.03), spent more time in bed (t = 3.90, p = 0.0001), and spent less time in a chair (t = 3.2, p = 0.002) than those who did not acquire pressure ulcers. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to calculate risk of pressure ulcer development. In the final model, hemoglobin level and hours spent in bed continued to be predictors of pressure ulcer development (chi 2 = 9.306, df = 2, p = 0.0095). All 20 subjects who acquired pressure ulcers were further categorized into groups with stage I (n = 12) or stage II (n = 8) ulcers. Patients with stage I pressure ulcers were primarily receiving post-surgical care (67%), whereas patients who acquired stage II ulcers had medical conditions that affected tissue perfusion, such as respiratory diseases (50%) and diabetes mellitus (12%).

The effectiveness of skin care protocols for pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcers (PU) remain a serious healthcare problem in the United States. This study investigated the effectiveness of a prevention and early intervention program in reducing the prevalence of pressure ulcers (i.e., the number or the percentage of persons with pressure ulcers at a given time) in a rehabilitation hospital. The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk was used to assess subjects' PU risk. Protocols were established for PU stages consistent with the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel consensus statement on pressure ulcers. Staff were educated about PUs and the specific protocols for prevention and treatment. Concurrent quarterly prevalence audits on a total of 116 patients were conducted for 1 year. An audit also was done 16 months after protocols had been established. There was a 60% decrease in pressure ulcer prevalence from the 25% baseline to the 10% found at the audit following implementation of the protocols.

Skin care strategies in a skilled nursing home.

1. Pressure ulcers continue to be a serious problem in nursing home settings. They are significant as a source of discomfort and disability among nursing home residents, as well as a source of financial concern for the institutional agencies responsible for resident care. 2. Prevention and intervention at the earliest stages of pressure ulcer development offer the most effective approaches to mediating the human and economic costs imposed by pressure ulcers. 3. Strategies that are effective in reducing both the development and severity of pressure ulcers can be successfully implemented in long-term care settings. Further studies are needed that will provide additional support for the strategies and protocols used in this study.

Evaluation of pressure ulcer prevalence rates for hospice patients post-implementation of pressure ulcer protocols.

Hospice patients may be particularly at risk for pressure ulcer development due to several factors. Identifying populations at risk for pressure ulcer development, such as hospice patients, and providing prevention and risk protocols for these populations can substantially reduce the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers. However, are hospice patients prone for skin breakdown despite prevention and treatment efforts? This study examines the prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospice patients following the implementation of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment protocols. Levine's theory of conservation of structural integrity formed the theoretical framework for this descriptive study. A midwestern hospital-based hospice agency was the site for this study. All patients 18 years of age and older were included in the study. Pressure ulcer prevalence audits were done at four, eight, 12, and 18 months after protocols were outlined by the hospice staff. Results of the audits revealed prevalence rates of 14.8 percent, 8.5 percent, 13.6 percent, and 23.8 percent, at each of the aforementioned audits. 10 of 15 patients who were pressure ulcer positive were males; the sacral location was most common (seven of 19 ulcers occurred sacrally) with the ischial location being the next common (six of 19 ulcers were ischially located). No ulcers occurred above the waist or in patients below 51 years of age. Recommendations from this study urge that particular prevention attention be given to protocols which address "sitting," due to the predominance of ulcers located in the sacral and ischial regions. In addition, the author concludes that perhaps, pressure ulcers may occur in this population despite the best of efforts to prevent them.

Relationship between body weight, body position, support surface, and tissue interface pressure at the sacrum.

This descriptive, comparative study examined the relationship between three body positions, body weight, and tissue interface pressure measurement on three support surfaces among residents who were 65 years of age or older. The support surfaces included the Sof. Care bed cushion, Biogard foam mattress, and hospital mattress. Subjects included 12 ideal body-weight and six less-than-ideal body-weight individuals from a long-term care facility in a Mid-western state. Results indicated no significant difference in sacral tissue interface difference between ideal body weight and less-than-ideal body weight subjects. However, the sacral measurements were significantly greater in the supine position than those taken in the Fowler's and semi-Fowler's positions. A significant interaction was found between position and support surface with subjects in Fowler and semi-Fowler positions on the Sof. Care Surface exhibiting the lowest mean tissue interface pressure at the sacrum.