Effect of Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) and Compression Therapy on Diabetic Foot Ulcer Healing.

PURPOSE: Knowing the effect of compression therapy on the value of the Ankle Brachial Index in the healing process of Diabetic Foot Ulcer. DESIGN: This study used a quasi-experimental method with pretest-posttest with control group design with purposive sampling and non-equivalent control groups for eight weeks of treatment. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Patients diagnosed with Diabetic Foot Ulcer have and have Peripheral Artery Disease, patient characteristics are homogenized, age >18 years, wound care every three days, Ankle Brachial Index values between 0.6-1.3 mmHg, research three clinics in Indonesia in February 2021. METHODS: The population with Diabetic Foot Ulcer was screened by inclusion criteria with Ankle Brachial Index and Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool instruments, a total of n=140; in the study, thirteen samples were excluded, the intervention group was given Compression Therapy n= 68, and the control group was compression stockings for eight weeks n=59, the data were statistically analyzed non-parametric test using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that the mean difference in paired group means was 26.4%. Meanwhile, in the mean analysis, the difference in the post-test healing of diabetic foot ulcers was 2.83%; p=0.000 and improvement of peripheral microcirculation was 33.02%; p=0.000 in the eighth week. Thus, compression therapy intervention in diabetic foot ulcer patients can improve peripheral microcirculation and increase Diabetic Foot Ulcers healing compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Compression therapy tailored to the patient's needs and according to standard operating procedures can improve peripheral microcirculation, so that blood flow in the legs becomes normal; it can speed up the healing process of Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Prophylactic dressings in the prevention of pressure ulcer related to the use of personal protective equipment by health professionals facing the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized clinical trial.

Device-related pressure injury (DRPI) is a serious problem that is affecting professionals working on the front lines against COVID-19 due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition to the physical and psychological integrity of professionals, these injuries can compromise the quality of care. Therefore, using technologies to prevent this adverse effect is an urgent matter. This is a parallel two-arm randomized clinical trial without the use of a control group to compare the use of foam and extra-thin hydrocolloid in preventing DRPI associated with the use of PPE by health professionals working on the front lines against coronavirus. In total, 88 professionals were divided into two groups: foam and hydrocolloid. Data were collected using two instruments and related to demographic and professional characteristics and skin evaluation. Each volunteer received one of the dressings, both with the same dimensions and arranged over similar regions, and data were gathered at baseline and after 6 or 12 hours. Descriptive and inferential analytic statistical methods were used; the significance level adopted was 5%. No participant developed DRPI, but four areas with hyperemia were observed in the foam group (two in the forehead, one in the cheeks, and one in the nose bridge), as well as four areas with hyperemia in the hydrocolloid group (two in the nose bridge, one in the right ear, and one in the left ear). There was no difference between the groups regarding skin conditions and discomfort (P > .05). The average cost obtained was $ 5.8/person and $ 4.4/person in the foam group and the hydrocolloid group, respectively, considering the dressing measurements. The results show that foam and extra-thin hydrocolloid were effective in preventing DRPI associated with the use of PPE.

[Nurses' interventions in the management of urinary incontinence in the elderly: an integrative review]. / Atuação do enfermeiro no manejo da incontinência urinária no idoso: uma revisão integrativa.

The objective of this study was to verify the strategies that nurses use to manage urinary incontinence (UI) in the elderly. An integrative literature review was performed on the following databases: WEB OF SCIENCE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and CINAHL, in the period from 2006 to 2010. A total of 186 articles were located, and after excluding duplicates and performing a careful reading of the full articles, the sample was comprised of seven articles. Most studies utilize an overall approach to urinary incontinence, without characterizing the type or the subjects' claims. Only one study addressed the management of urinary incontinence in the elderly with dementia; another specified the type (hyperactive bladder). Therefore, there is a need for further clinical nursing studies regarding the management of urinary incontinence, aiming to provide scientific evidence to support this practice.