Use of polyurethane foam inside plaster casts to prevent the onset of heel sores in the population at risk. A controlled clinical study

Abstract

This study provides evidence that using polyurethane foam to prevent sores even inside plaster casts in populations at most risk is a simple and cost-effective strategy and decreases the discomfort, pain and risks in these patients.

Medical device‐related pressure ulcer (MDRPU) in acute care hospitals and its perceived importance and prevention performance by clinical nurses

“…According to studies on the prevention of MDRPUs, the incidence of pressure ulcers was effectively reduced by placing silicon foam dressing on the skin, underneath the area of the tracheotomy tube, and beneath the band that holds it to prevent skin injury . Meanwhile, a study by Forni et al, which assessed the effects of applying foam dressing to the heels wrapped in plaster dressing for prevention of pressure ulcers, reported that doing so caused significant decrease in the incidence of pressure ulcers . Moreover, it was reported that applying a gel sheet to the skin of premature infants receiving continuous positive airway pressure treatment was effective in preventing skin injuries, such as bleeding, skin tearing, and tissue necrosis .…”

Pressure Ulcer Prevention in the Hospital Setting Using Silicone Foam Dressings

“…Forni, et al investigated pressure ulcer prevention by using foam dressings in patients with cast immobilization [9]. One hundred and fifty-six patients were included in this study, 85 in the control group and 71 in the experimental group.…”

“…The results provided substantial evidence of pressure ulcer prevention by applying foam within the plaster cast of patients with data that was statistically significant for differences among the control and experimental groups. Forni, et al discussed the positive impact that foams can have as a deterrent against pressure ulcers in patients requiring casts as well as its potential use in diabetics who are more prone to developing pressure ulcers [9]. …”

“…This literature review shows that standard traditional methods were helpful in preventing pressure ulcers, but silicone foam dressings were even more effective in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcer formation (3.6% versus 42.9% in the study conducted by Forni, et al.) [9]. Not only should silicone foam dressings be considered due to their effectiveness, Santamaria, et al concluded in their study that they should be considered due to their economic savings to health care institutions (average net cost of intervention compared to control, $52.87 versus $107.91) [12].…”

“…Research conducted by Huang, et al provided information regarding protection of pressure ulcer formation, but the paper did not include the methods of data collection or methods of analyses [6]. The research by Forni, et al and Chaiken was limited by a lack of a parallel control within these respective studies and used past patient data as a control instead [9, 11]. Brindle and Wegelin mentioned that a major limitation of their study was indeed the duration of the experiment and sample size [4].…”