It is uncertain how accurately classic signs of acute infection identify infection in chronic wounds, or if the signs of infection specific to secondary wounds are better indicators of infection in these wounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the "classic" signs (i.e., pain, erythema, edema, heat, and purulence) and the signs specific to secondary wounds (i.e., serous exudate, delayed healing, discoloration of granulation tissue, friable granulation tissue, pocketing at the base of the wound, foul odor, and wound breakdown). Thirty-six chronic wounds were assessed for these signs and symptoms of infection with interobserver reliability ranging from 0.53 to 1.00. The wounds were then quantitatively cultured, and 11 (31%) were found to be infected. Increasing pain, friable granulation tissue, foul odor, and wound breakdown showed validity based on sensitivity, specificity, discriminatory power, and positive predictive values. The signs specific to secondary wounds were better indicators of chronic wound infection than the classic signs with a mean sensitivity of 0.62 and 0.38, respectively. None of the signs or symptoms was a necessary indicator of infection, but increasing pain and wound breakdown were both sufficient indicators with specificity of 100%.

This study examined the diagnostic validity of three different swab techniques in identifying chronic wound infection. Concurrent swab specimens of chronic wounds were obtained using wound exudate, the Z-technique, and the Levine technique, along with a specimen of viable wound tissue. Swab and tissue specimens were cultured using quantitative and qualitative laboratory procedures. Infected wounds were defined as those containing 1 x 10(6) or more organisms per gram of tissue. Accuracy was determined by associating the quantitative cultures of swab specimens with the cultures from tissue specimens using receiver operating characteristic curves. Of the 83 study wounds, 30 (36%) were infected. Accuracy was the highest for swab specimens obtained using Levine's technique at 0.80. Based on Levine's technique, a critical threshold of 37,000 organisms per swab provided a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 57%. The mean concordance between swab specimens obtained using Levine's technique and tissue specimens was 78%. The findings suggest that swab specimens collected using Levine's technique provide a reasonably accurate measure of wound bioburden, given that they are more widely applicable than tissue cultures. The diagnostic validity of Levine's technique needs further study using an alternative reference standard, such as the development of infection-related complications.

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Data from these two studies confirmed that the PUSH tool, with the components of length times width, exudate amount, and tissue type, is a valid and sensitive measure of pressure ulcer healing. It is a practical approach that provides clinically valid data regarding pressure ulcer healing. Further testing is needed to confirm these findings.