Positron emission tomography study of effects of two pressure-relieving support surfaces on pressure ulcer development.

Objective: To study the pathophysiological cascade of pressure ulcer (PU) development consisting of tissue deformation, inflammation and hypoxia.

Method: In this crossover study, deformation was measured with computerised tomography (CT) linked with contact area reflecting immersion and envelopment. Inflammation and hypoxia were measured using subepidermal moisture (SEM), skin temperature and tissue perfusion with positron emission tomography.

The Association Between Pressure Ulcer/Injury Development and Short-term Mortality in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Unlabelled: Pressure ulcers/injuries (PU/Is) affect the social, mental, and physical well-being of patients; increase treatment costs; prolong hospital stays; increase patient risk for infections; and may independently decrease life expectancy.

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to examine the association between PU/I development and mortality in a large cohort of consecutively admitted critically ill patients.

Methods: Data from adult patients ( >18 years of age) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) between 2010 and 2013 were extracted from the ICU electronic clinical information system.

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) to Predict Pressure Ulcer Risk in Intensive Care Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Unlabelled: Pressure ulcer (PU) risk assessment practices in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients remain varied.

Purpose: The authors assessed the performance of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scale and its subcategories in predicting the development of PUs.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all adult patients admitted to the mixed medical-surgical ICU of a Finnish tertiary referral hospital between January 2010 and December 2012.

Iron deficiency without anemia - a clinical challenge.

One should always consider iron deficiency (without anemia) as the cause of persisting, unexplained unspecific, often severe, symptoms, regardless of the primary underlying disease. The symptoms of iron deficiency may arise from the metabolic systems where many proteins are iron containing. Long-standing iron deficiency may be challenging to treat.

Therapeutic hypothermia and pressure ulcer risk in critically ill intensive care patients: A retrospective study.

Objective: To examine the role of therapeutic hypothermia in pressure ulcer development in critically ill patients.

Research Methodology: Retrospective study in a mixed intensive care unit over 2010-2013. The incidences of pressure ulcers among patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia (n = 148) and the non-hypothermia patient population (n = 6197) were compared.