Quality Indicators for the Care of Pressure Ulcers in Vulnerable Elders

Evaluating the sensitivity, specificity and clinical utility of algorithms of spatial variation in sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) for the diagnosis of deep and early-stage pressure-induced tissue damage

BACKGROUND

Sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) is a measurable biomarker detecting early pressure damage in order to objectively support current 'gold standard' skin tissue assessments (STA) for the detection of deep and early-stage pressure-induced injuries or ulcers (PI/PUs).

OBJECTIVE

A multi-site, dual arm, cross sectional, retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and clinical utility of spatial variation in SEM readings between healthy and damaged skin tissue.

METHOD

The study enrolled 175 subjects: 125 with confirmed PI/PUs or suspected deep tissue injury (sDTI), and 50 confirmed healthy subjects. Expert principal investigators and PI/PU healthcare practitioners (HCPs) evaluating all subjects were trained in SEM measurements but blinded to clinical interpretation of SEM readings. Sequential and spatial SEM readings of the sacrum and heels, subjects' demographic data, STAs, risk assessment tool scores (RATS), pain assessment and potential confounders were recorded. Independent statistical analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Mean spatial SEM measures within subjects with healthy tissue and within subjects with damaged tissue were statistically similar. Mean spatial SEM measures within anatomies of subjects with damaged tissue were significantly different (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between spatial readings in healthy subjects. Algorithms computing a range of SEM delta thresholds indicated a sensitivity of 82-87% and a specificity of 51-88% at an SEM delta ≥0.6. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves computed areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.7809-0.9181 (95% CI: 0.7221-0.8817, 0.8397-0.9545, p<0.0001) exceeding clinical judgement.

CONCLUSION

These SEM data augment clinical decision-making for developing intact skin PI/PUs including sDTIs and Stage I PI/PUs. Informing HCPs of this subclinical, non-visible skin and tissue damage and providing opportunities for alternative PI/PU care pathways is an exciting prospect.

Quality of Care Delivered Before vs After a Quality-Improvement Intervention for Acute Geriatric Trauma

BACKGROUND

Older trauma-injury patients had improved recovery after we implemented routine geriatric consultation for patients aged 65 years and older admitted to the trauma service of a Level I academic trauma center. The intervention aimed to improve quality of geriatric care. However, the specific care processes that improved are unknown.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a prospective observation comparing medical care after (December 2007 to November 2009) vs before (December 2006 to November 2007) implementation of the geriatric consult-based intervention. To measure quality of care (QOC), we used 33 previously validated care-process quality indicators (QIs) from the Assessing the Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE) study, measured by review of medical records for 76 geriatric consult (GC) vs 71 control group patients. As prespecified subgroup analyses, we aggregated QIs by type: geriatric (eg, delirium screening) vs nongeriatric condition-based care (eg, thrombosis prophylaxis) and compared QI scores by type of care. Last, we aggregated QI scores into overall, geriatric, and nongeriatric QOC scores for each patient (number of QIs passed/number of QIs eligible), and compared patient-level QOC for the GC vs control group, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, comorbidity, and injury severity.

RESULTS

Sixty-three percent of the GC patients vs 11% of the control group patients received a geriatric consultation. We evaluated 2,505 QIs overall (1,664 geriatric type and 841 nongeriatric QIs). In general, fewer geriatric-type QIs were passed than nongeriatric QIs (71% vs 81%; p < 0.001). We provided better overall QOC to the GC (77%) than control group patients (73%; p < 0.05). However, the difference was not statistically significant after multivariable adjustment (p = 0.08). We improved geriatric QOC for the GC (74%) compared with the control group (68%; p < 0.01), a difference that was significant after multivariable adjustment (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Geriatricians and surgeons can collaboratively improve geriatric QOC for older trauma patients.

Wound management of chronic diabetic foot ulcers: from the basics to regenerative medicine

BACKGROUND

Hospital-based studies have shown that mortality rates in individuals with diabetic foot ulcers are about twice those observed in individuals with diabetes without foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the etiology and management of chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

STUDY DESIGN

Literature review.

METHODS

Systematic review of the literature discussing management of diabetic foot ulcers. Since there were only a few randomized controlled trials on this topic, articles were selected to attempt to be comprehensive rather than a formal assessment of study quality.

RESULTS

Chronic nonhealing foot ulcers occur in approximately 15% of patients with diabetes. Many factors contribute to impaired diabetic wound healing. Risk factors include peripheral neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, limited joint mobility, foot deformities, abnormal foot pressures, minor trauma, a history of ulceration or amputation, and impaired visual acuity. With the current treatment for nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers, a significant number of patients require amputation.

CONCLUSION

Diabetic foot ulcers are optimally managed by a multidisciplinary integrated team. Offloading and preventative management are important. Dressings play an adjunctive role. There is a critical need to develop novel treatments to improve healing of diabetic foot ulcers. The goal is to have wounds heal and remain healed.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Diabetic neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease are major factors involved in a diabetic foot ulcer. Despite current treatment modalities for nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers, there are a significant number of patients who require amputations. No known therapy will be effective without concomitant management of ischemia, infection, and adequate offloading.

Diagnosis and management of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI): a literature review and consensus statement on behalf of the Italian Society of Infectious Diseases and International Society of Chemotherapy

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, posing considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality among patients as well as increased healthcare costs. eight members of the SSTI working group of the Italian Society of infectious Diseases prepared a draft of the statements, grading the quality of each piece of evidence after a careful review of the current literature using MEDLINE database and their own clinical experience. Statements were graded for their strength and quality using a system based on the one adopted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The manuscript was successively reviewed by seven members of the SSTI working group of the international Society of Chemotherapy, and ultimately re-formulated by all e xperts. the microbiological and clinical aspects together with diagnostic features were considered for uncomplicated and complicated SSTIs. Antimicrobial therapy was considered as well -both empirical and targeted to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and/or other main pathogens.

Improving identification and documentation of pressure ulcers at an urban academic hospital

BACKGROUND

A two-year quality improvement campaign at a teaching hospital was launched to improve the identification and accurate documentation of pressure ulcers (PUs) after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changed reimbursement regarding hospital-acquired PUs.

METHOD

The campaign consisted of (1) reference materials, (2) new documentation templates, (3) staff education, and (4) hospitalwide mattress replacement.

RESULTS

The campaign significantly increased the proportion of PUs completely documented by nurses from 27% to 55% following mattress replacement and resident education (odds ratio [OR] 3.68; p = .001; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.68-8.08). A similar improvement was observed for physician documentation, increasing from 12% to 36% following the same interventions; however, this change was not statistically significant (OR 2.11; p = .12; 95% CI:0.82-5.39). These improvements were short-lived because of the implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) for nursing notes. Although the percentage of PUs completely documented by nurses decreased following EMR implementation, it increased in the following months to above the precampaign baseline as nurses adapted to the new documentation system. However, after EMR implementation, complete PU documentation by physicians decreased to a nadir of 0% and did not recover.

CONCLUSIONS

A multicomponent campaign to improve the quality of PU documentation by both physicians and nurses can yield positive gains. However, these improvements were short-lived because of EMR implementation, which acutely worsened documentation of PUs. This emphasizes the importance of frequent and repeated interventions to sustain quality improvement successes.

Pressure ulcer prevalence rates from 2002 to 2008 in German long-term care facilities

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Pressure ulcers continue to be an important issue in long-term care facilities. Besides quality initiatives (implementation of guidelines) and increased public awareness of the problem, little is known about the actual extent of the problem in Germany. The aim of this study is to provide information on the magnitude of this problem and to show whether there have been any changes through the years 2002 to 2008. In addition we wanted to know if the results were representative.

METHODS

18,706 residents in 218 long-term care facilities (response rate 77.5%). Skin examination of each resident by qualified trained nurses after informed consent was given by resident or proxy. Application of Chi-square tests, chi-square trend tests and one-way ANOVA to assess differences and trends across the years. Comparisons of study samples with data characterizing the potential population.

RESULTS

Regarding gender, age, and pressure ulcer risk, the yearly samples were comparable. Pressure ulcer prevalence rates decreased from 12.5% (year 2002) to 5.0% (year 2008) (p<0.001). Prevalence rates, excluding non-blanchable erythema, decreased from 6.6% (year 2002) to 3.5% (year 2008) (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pressure ulcer prevalence in German long-term care facilities decreased from 2002 to 2008. It is highly probable that this decrease was due to more effective strategies and better prevention.

Six-month mortality risks in long-term care residents with chronic ulcers

Chronic ulcers are a common problem in long-term care. Residents with ongoing ulcers are often frail and at risk for mortality. This study evaluated the relationship between wound characteristics and other health predictors with 6-month mortality in nursing home residents. The subjects included were nursing home residents seen by the wound consult service from 1998 to 2007 with an ongoing chronic ulcer. This was a retrospective cohort study. Data were manually and electronically abstracted for each resident. Six-month mortality was collected as the primary outcome. Statistical comparisons were made using logistic regression with a final multivariant model. Four hundred and forty residents were seen with 411 records reviewed. Ulcer area was not associated with mortality; however, chronic ulcer number was associated with 6-month mortality with an odds ratio of 1.32 (95% CI 1.07-1.63). Other significant risk factors included heart failure, dementia, cancer, depression and blindness with all factors having an odds ratio greater than 1.75. Higher haemoglobin and venous insufficiency were protective of 6-month mortality. Ulcer number is an important predictor for 6-month mortality. The presence of multiple ulcers and comorbid health concerns may influence discussion of prognosis for healing and for potential end of life discussions.