Moisture accumulation detection technologies for identifying pressure injuries: a literature review

Abstract

Background Recent prevalence rates of 9% in Australia indicate that pressure injury (PI) remains a significant problem. The current methods used to detect PI are limited and can be imprecise and subjective. More recently, technology has been used in clinical practice to aid in detecting PIs.Aim The purpose of this literature review was to describe the effectiveness of two moisture accumulation detection technologies -ultrasound imaging and subepidermal moisture (SEM) -for identifying the early development of PI in comparison to the standard visual skin assessment (VSA).Methods A systematic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase databases was undertaken using MeSH terms. The quality of the research was evaluated using a Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT). ResultsWe identified five SEM and two ultrasound studies. Our findings suggest that both bedside technologies can be effective for identifying and preventing PI. However, the SEM scanner identified abnormal tissue pathology 2 days before ultrasound indicated signs of PI. ConclusionThe evidence suggests that the use of the SEM scanner may lead to a reduction of PI and a decrease in PI progression. However, there is a need for wider testing of the SEM scanner to establish optimal protocols for use in practice.

Inter‐device agreement of sacral subepidermal oedema measurement in healthy adults during prolonged 60° head of bed elevation

“…To ensure safe patient care, clinicians need to have confidence that the objective patient data they gather using point‐of‐care technology is reliable and accurate (Bryant et al., 2021 ). The Provisio® has only been on the market for a few years (Bruin Biometrics, n.d. ), with the majority of published clinical evidence based on the SEM 200 (Bone et al., 2022 ). While the Provisio® has superseded the SEM 200, both devices are currently used in clinical practice, hence more research is needed to compare the devices in a range of clinical situations and patient characteristics such as a range of skin tones.…”