Promote Pressure Ulcer Healing in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury Using an Individualized Cyclic Pressure-Relief Protocol

Adv Skin Wound Care, 2009 · DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000305495.77649.ee · Published: November 1, 2009

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether a special wheelchair seat can help heal pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injuries. The seat automatically changes position to relieve pressure on the wound. Two groups of people with pressure ulcers were compared: one using the special seat and another using a standard wheelchair. The researchers measured how quickly the wounds healed in each group. The results showed that the group using the special seat healed faster than the group using the standard wheelchair. This suggests that the special seat can be a helpful tool for healing pressure ulcers.

Study Duration

30 days

Participants

44 subjects with Stage II or Stage III PrU

Evidence Level

Randomized controlled study

Key Findings

1
The treatment group took significantly less time to achieve 30% healing for the wound measurement compared with the control group.
2
The percentage improvement of the wound area and PUSH scores were greater in using cyclic seating compared with standard seating.
3
At day 30, patients on the individualized cyclical pressure-relief protocol had a significantly higher probability to achieve PrU wound healing to a certain degree, for example, 30% wound area closure.

Research Summary

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an individualized cyclic pressure-relief protocol in accelerating wound healing in wheelchair users with established pressure ulcers. The treatment group, using wheelchairs with the pressure-relief system, showed significantly faster healing compared to the control group using standard wheelchairs. The findings suggest that cyclically relieving pressure can greatly aid wound healing and that this individualized protocol may have substantial benefits in accelerating the healing process.

Practical Implications

Improved Wound Healing

The individualized cyclic pressure-relief protocol can significantly accelerate the healing of pressure ulcers in wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries.

Maintaining Mobility

The protocol allows individuals with SCI to continue sitting and maintain mobility during pressure ulcer treatment, avoiding prolonged bed rest.

Cost Reduction

Faster healing and maintained mobility may reduce the overall cost associated with pressure ulcer treatment by minimizing complications and rehabilitation time.

Study Limitations

1
The trial was relatively short in duration; therefore, only 1 participant achieved a 100% healing.
2
The sample size of this study was relatively small, so data should be interpreted with caution when extrapolating to a larger number of population.
3
Although the authors did not notice any perceivable changes in the pressure-relief behavior for the participants along the trial, they were unable to quantify the difference on pressure-relief behavior between the groups.

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