Pressure ulcer prevalence and prevention rates in Abu Dhabi: an update

Wellbeing, quality of life and satisfaction of patients with hard-to-heal wounds: a descriptive study

OBJECTIVE

A hard-to-heal wound is defined as a wound that failed to proceed through the normal phases of wound healing in an orderly and timely manner. The purpose of this article is to describe the impact of hard-to-heal wounds on the wellbeing, quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction with QoL of patients in Oman with hard-to-heal wounds.

METHOD

A descriptive cross-sectional study of patients with hard-to-heal wounds attending three tertiary care hospitals using a self-reported questionnaire was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 275 patients took part in the study. Patients reported a low wellbeing score (67.06±19.72), moderate QoL score (52.18±25.07) and moderate satisfaction scores (68.91±23.88). Significant mean differences were reported with age, sex, educational level, monthly income and type of wound all at p<0.05.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study demonstrated that hard-to-heal wounds could influence the wellbeing, QoL and overall satisfaction with QoL of patients.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Funding was received through an internal grant of the Sultan Qaboos University to conduct the research conducting the research (IG/CON/FACN/20/01). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Systematic Review for Risks of Pressure Injury and Prediction Models Using Machine Learning Algorithms

Pressure injuries are increasing worldwide, and there has been no significant improvement in preventing them. This study is aimed at reviewing and evaluating the studies related to the prediction model to identify the risks of pressure injuries in adult hospitalized patients using machine learning algorithms. In addition, it provides evidence that the prediction models identified the risks of pressure injuries earlier. The systematic review has been utilized to review the articles that discussed constructing a prediction model of pressure injuries using machine learning in hospitalized adult patients. The search was conducted in the databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHIL), PubMed, Science Direct, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Cochrane, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria included studies constructing a prediction model for adult hospitalized patients. Twenty-seven articles were included in the study. The defects in the current method of identifying risks of pressure injury led health scientists and nursing leaders to look for a new methodology that helps identify all risk factors and predict pressure injury earlier, before the skin changes or harms the patients. The paper critically analyzes the current prediction models and guides future directions and motivations.

The effectiveness of drugs combined with individualized management for elderly patients with stage III pressure ulcers

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of drugs in combination with individualized management for elderly patients with stage III pressure ulcers.

METHODS

Sixty patients with stage III pressure sores at our hospital from August 2017 to December 2019 were selected as research subjects. The patients were equally divided between the study group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 30) by the random number table method. All enrolled patients received drug treatment, silver ion alginate and hydrocolloid and foam dressings once every 3 days, according to the patient's wound condition to shorten the healing time. After necrotic tissue and wounds were washed with normal saline, a silver ion alginate dressing was applied and the dressing was changed once a day. The study group had individualized management based on the above drug treatment as well as exercise, nutrition, and psychological management. The pressure ulcer scale for healing (PUSH) score and changes in the pressure ulcer area were compared between the two groups before treatment, at 1, 3, and 5 weeks of treatment. The wound healing rate was then calculated.

RESULTS

With the progress of treatment time, the PUSH scores and pressure ulcer areas in both groups showed a significantly decreasing trend, and the wound healing rate was significantly increased (p < 0.05). The study group's PUSH scores and pressure ulcer areas were significantly lower when compared with the control group (p < 0.05) after one, three, and 5 weeks of treatment. The wound healing rate of the study group at three and 5 weeks was significantly faster than the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Based on drug therapy (silver ion alginate, hydrocolloid dressing, and foam dressing) combined with individualized exercise, nutrition, and psychological management, older patients with stage III pressure ulcers had improved therapeutic wound healing.