Sacral Skin Temperature Assessed by Thermal Imaging: Role of Patient Vascular Attributes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that temperature differentials measured by thermal imaging of sacral versus a remote skin area in critically ill patients differentiate those with significant vascular disease and risk for pressure injury of the sacral area.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Subjects And Setting: The sample comprised 100 patients (58 men, 42 women) with mean ± SD ages of 70.

Effects of support surface relief pressures on heel skin blood perfusion.

Objective: To investigate the effect of pressure-relief magnitude on heel blood flow.

Design: 12 healthy subjects (5 male, 7 female; 21 to 43 years of age) lay on a support surface for 50 minutes with 1 heel on the end cell of the support surface. Cell pressure was computer controlled to vary cyclically at 5-minute intervals between a constant 20 mm Hg during loading and 10, 5, and 0 mm Hg during off-loading.

Sacral skin blood perfusion: a factor in pressure ulcers?

Pressure ulcers occur over the sacrum but are rare over the gluteus maximus. This predilection is partly explained by pressure concentration effects, but other factors may be involved. The authors hypothesized that if resting sacral skin blood flow was greater than in surrounding tissues, a decrease or stoppage of blood flow during loading might represent increased risk because relative tissue deficits would be greater.