As of 2012, what are the key predictive risk factors for pressure ulcers? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: An evaluation of predictive risk factors for pressure ulcers is essential in development of a preventive strategy on admission to hospitals and/or nursing homes. OBJECTIVES: Identification of the predictive factors for pressure ulcers as of 2012. METHOD: Systematic review of the literature querying the databases PASCAL Biomed, Cochrane Library and PubMed from 2000 through 2010. RESULTS: Immobility should be considered as a predictive risk factor for pressure ulcers (grade B). Undernutrition/malnutrition may also be a predictive risk factor for pressure ulcers (grade C). DISCUSSION: Even if the level of evidence is low, once these risk factors have been detected, management is essential. Sensitizing and mobilizing health care teams requires training in ways of tracking and screening. According to the experts, risk scales should be used. As decision aids, they should always be balanced and complemented by the clinical judgment of the treatment team. CONCLUSION: According to experts, it is important to know and predictively evaluate risk of pressure ulcers at the time of hospital admission. The predictive risk factors found in this study are identical to those highlighted at the 2001 consensus conference of which was PERSE was the promoter.

Which medical devices and/or local drug should be curatively used, as of 2012, for PU patients? How can granulation and epidermidalization be promoted? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Management of a patient with pressure ulcer sore(s) must associate local and general treatment. OBJECTIVES: To determine which medical devices other than supports and which treatments may be used for pressure sore healing (granulation tissue and epithelization/epidermidalization) as of 2012. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature querying the databases: PASCAL Biomed, PubMed, and Cochrane library from 2000 through 2010. RESULTS: Data in the literature on granulation tissue and epithelisation/epidermidalization in pressure sore healing are poor. The level of evidence regarding the relative effectiveness of one modern dressing compared to another has remained low. However, the study data on the interest of hydrocolloid dressing compared with impregnated gases are more significant. DISCUSSION: Studies with heterogeneous results and populations have shown low power. Meta-analyses are difficult due to the wide range of therapeutic aims. Further clinical studies with adequate methodology are needed prior to elaboration of more specific recommendations. CONCLUSION: The use of hydrocolloid dressing may be recommended to improve granulation tissue development and epithelization/epidermidalization in pressure sore (Level B).

Which medical device and/or which local treatment for prevention in patients with risk factors for pressure sores in 2012? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Implementation of a prevention strategy after the identification of risk factors is essential at the entrance in a care unit or in a medical-social unit. OBJECTIVES: Determine which medical devices and which treatments may be used in order to prevent pressure sore in 2012. METHOD: Systematic review of the literature using databases: Pascal, Biomed, PubMed, and Cochrane library between 2000 and 2010. RESULTS: Nursing care including use of soft product, non-irritating for the cleaning, hydration of the skin with emollients, protection of fragile skin in case of incontinence by applying a skin protector and application of dressings in front of bony prominences to reduce shear forces, remain valid (level C). DISCUSSION: Nursing cares and use of dressing in patients with high risks of pressure sores are the responsibility of the nurses. The engagement of health care teams involves screening of risk factors and the knowledge of treatments and local devices. CONCLUSION: Local preventive treatment in a patient with risk factors of pressure sore is of great interest at entrance in a care unit or in a medical-social unit.

What is the role of TPE in management of patients at risk or with pressure ulcer as of 2012? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Pressure ulcer (PU) is a common complication in chronic affection, especially neurological disorders and diseases commonly diagnosed in the elderly. For a long period of time, the prevention of skin lesions was taught only in an empirical manner. The development of therapeutic patient education (TPE) sheds a new light on care management for patients with chronic pathologies. OBJECTIVES: Determine the place of TPE in persons at risk of and/or already suffering from pressure ulcer (PU) as of 2012. METHODS: The methodology used is the one promoted by SOFMER, including: a systematic review of the literature with a query of the PASCAL Biomed, PubMed and Cochrane Library databases for data from 2000 through 2010; a compendium of prevailing professional practices and advice from a committee of experts. RESULTS: The review of the literature found six studies including four controlled trials in patients with chronic neurological impairments (most of them with spinal cord injury). No studies were found regarding the elderly. The level of evidence for efficacy in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is moderate. The clinical practice study focuses on programs currently underway, dedicated to SCI patients or elderly populations. DISCUSSION: The approach proposed through TPE has its role in a strategy aimed at preventing PU in persons at chronic risk of developing PU. The educational objectives and techniques used must be adapted to the clinical and psychological context and are debated in this review. The co-construction of programs, recommended in the official texts on therapeutic education in France, should help to tailor these programs to the patients' needs. CONCLUSION: TPE is relevant in care management or prevention of PU in persons at chronic risk, patients with spinal cord injury (Grade B) or elderly subjects (Grade C).

Which medical device and/or which local treatment are to be used, as of 2012, in patients with infected pressure sore? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Taking care of a patient with an infected pressure sore necessitates a diagnosis allowing for a suitable treatment strategy. AIMS: To choose the dressings and topical antimicrobial agents that can be used as of 2012 in treatment of an infected pressure sore. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature with queries to the databases Pascal Biomed, PubMed and Cochrane Library from 2000 through 2010. RESULTS: Diagnosis of local infection is essentially clinical. It is subsequently difficult to destroy and/or permeabilize biofilm by means of mechanical wound debridement. Application of an antimicrobial product and a disinfectant solution are of utmost importance in this respect. DISCUSSION: The studies do not demonstrate that one topical product is better than another in wound cleaning. The papers recommending antimicrobial topics lead to the conclusion that they may be interesting, but show little clinical evidence of their beneficial effects. Dressings including silver, iodine, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and negative pressure wound therapy could likewise be of interest, but once again, existing studies present only a low level of evidence (Grade C). CONCLUSION: Local antimicrobial treatment can be used when there are signs of local infection (Grade C). Systemic antibiotic treatment is to be used when there are general medical signs of infection (Grade B).

What is the best support surface in prevention and treatment, as of 2012, for a patient at risk and/or suffering from pressure ulcer sore? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: The use of support surfaces in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers prevention is an important part of care for a patient at risk and/or suffering from sore(s). OBJECTIVES: Define which support surfaces to use in prevention and treatment of at-risk and/or pressure sore patients. METHODOLOGY: A systematic review of the literature querying the several Pascal Biomed, PubMed and Cochrane Library databases from 2000 through 2010. RESULTS (GRADE A): In prevention, a structured foam mattress is more efficient than a standard hospital mattress. An alternating pressure mattress is more effective than a visco-elastic mattress limiting the occurrence heel pressure ulcers, but those that do occur are more serious. A low-air-loss bed is more efficient than a mixed pulsating air mattress in prevention of heel pressure ulcers. Some types of sheepskin can reduce sacral pressure ulcer incidence in orthopedic patients. Use of an overlay on an operating table limits the occurrence of peroperative and postoperative pressure ulcers. An air-fluidized bed improves pressure ulcer healing. DISCUSSION: The data in the literature are not always relevant and do not suffice to dictate a clinician's choices. We are compelled to recognize the methodological limitations of many studies, the lack of corporate interest in conducting such studies and the relatively small number of available trials. However, the effectiveness of some support surfaces reaches a sufficient level of evidence, especially when they are associated with postural, hydration and nutritional measures. CONCLUSION: Support surfaces are recommended in prevention and treatment of patients at risk and/or already suffering from pressure ulcer, and their use should constitute part of an overall preventive or curative strategy.

Which medical technology and/or local treatment is most conducive, as of 2012, to pressure sore debridement ? Developing French guidelines for clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Implementation of a curative strategy at the debridement stage associates systemic therapy with local therapy. OBJECTIVES: To determine which medical devices and technology other than support surfaces and what kinds of drugs to use in order to cleanse a pressure ulcer in 2012. METHOD: A systematic review of the literature querying the databases PASCAL Biomed, Cochrane Library and PubMed from 2000 to 2010 along with a compendium of prevailing professional practices. RESULTS: Pressure sore debridement is based on local care and on the use of alginates, hydrogels and hydrocolloids. DISCUSSION: The analyzed articles do not take into account any specific stage of pressure ulcer debridement. Data that might favor some kinds of dressings show a low level of evidence. Were it possible to decide on the dressing to be used for a given indication, professionals would be better able to orient and narrow down their choices. CONCLUSION: Use of alginates and hydrogels in pressure ulcer debridement is of real interest. According to expert opinion, other dressings (irrigo-absorbents, for instance) seem promising, but have yet to receive adequate scientific validation.

Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) care pathways: "patients after knee ligament surgery".

This document is part of a series of documents designed by the French Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Society (Sofmer) and the French Federation of PRM (Fedmer). These documents describe the needs for or a specific type of patients; PRM care objectives, human and material resources to be implemented, chronology as well as expected outcomes. "Care pathways in PRM" is a short document designed to enable the reader (physicians, decision-maker, administrator, lawyer or finance manager) to quickly apprehend the needs of these patients and the available therapeutic care structures for proper organization and pricing of these activities. Patients after knee ligament surgery are classified into four care sequences and two clinical categories, taking into account personal and environmental factors that could influence patients' needs, in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning (WHO).

Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) care pathways: "patients after rotator cuff tear surgery".

This document is part of a series of documents designed by the French Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Society (Sofmer) and the French Federation of PRM (Fedmer). These documents describe the needs for or a specific type of patients; PRM care objectives, human and material resources to be implemented, chronology as well as expected outcomes. "Care pathways in PRM" is a short document designed to enable the reader (physicians, decision-maker, administrator, lawyer or finance manager) to quickly apprehend the needs of these patients and the available therapeutic care structures for proper organization and pricing of these activities. Patients after rotator cuff tear surgery are classified into four care sequences and two clinical categories, taking into account personal and environmental factors that could influence patients' needs, in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) (WHO).

A national prevalence study of pressure ulcers in French hospital inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain pressure ulcer prevalence rate in French hospitals. METHOD: In 2004, a cross-sectional study was conducted in all French hospitals, except university hospitals. The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) staging was used. Data were collected using two self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS: A total of 37,307 inpatients in 1170 wards in 1149 hospitals were assessed, representing a response rate of 93.5%. Their mean age was 72.3 years and 62% were females. In all, 3314 patients had at least one pressure ulcer, giving a prevalence rate of 8.9%. A total of 4991 pressure ulcers were recorded; 64% of the patients had only one pressure ulcer. Fifty-five per cent of the patients had at least two concomitant diseases. When patients with only one ulcer were assessed, the most common locations were the heels (53%) and sacrum (29%). Heel pressure ulcers were more common in patients with obliterative arterial disease, and sacral pressure ulcers were more frequent in incontinent (urine, faecal and double incontinence) patients. Patients with multiple pressure ulcers had more severe lesions. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the prevalence of pressure ulcers in French hospital inpatients has remained stable since the last prevalence study undertaken 10 years before, when the rate was 8.9%. Such studies should be encouraged in all health-care settings as a means of improving the care provided.

What is the role of the physical medicine and rehabilitation unit after total knee arthroplasty? Clinical practice recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: To develop clinical practice guidelines concerning the interest of post-operative rehabilitation in physical medicine and functional rehabilitation (PMR) ward after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHOD: The SOFMER (French Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Society) methodology, associating a systematic literature review, collection of everyday clinical practice, and external review by a multidisciplinary expert panel, was used. Main outcomes were impairment, disability, medico-economic implications and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Post-operative rehabilitation in a PMR ward after TKA is recommended for patients because of preoperative joint stiffness, and/or associated co-morbidities. The other parameters used by French physician for post-operative rehabilitation in a PMR ward after TKA are: the self-governing of the patient at home, the wishes of the patient and the opinion of the surgeon on the post-operative functional evolution of the patients. For patients in whom sustained rehabilitation is not necessary but who cannot return home, a stay in a non-specific (non-PMR) post-operative centre could be recommended. Post-operative rehabilitation in a PMR ward after TKA could reduce the length of stay in a surgical ward and increase the functional status of patients with co-morbidities. Studies with good methodological quality are needed to evaluate the cost/benefit ratio in the French health care system. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a value of rehabilitation in a PMR ward after TKA, but good methodological quality studies are needed to evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of rehabilitation in a PMR ward after TKA in the French health care system.

What is the interest of rehabilitation in physical medicine and functional rehabilitation ward after total hip arthroplasty? Elaboration of french clinical practice guidelines.

OBJECTIVES: To develop clinical practice guidelines concerning the interest of post-operative rehabilitation in a physical medicine and functional rehabilitation (PMR) ward after total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHOD: The SOFMER (French Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Society) methodology, associating a systematic literature review, collection of everyday clinical practice, and external review by a multidisciplinary expert panel, was used. Main outcomes were impairment, disability, medico-economic implications and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Post-operative rehabilitation in a PMR ward after THA is recommended for frail patients because of their functional status, and/or associated co-morbidities, and/or post-operative complications. For patients in whom sustained rehabilitation is not necessary, but who cannot return home, a stay in a non-specific (non-PMR) post-operative center could be recommended. Post-operative rehabilitation in a PMR ward after THA could reduce the length of stay in a surgical ward and increase the functional status of patients. The total cost of the different modalities of post-operative rehabilitation after THA needs evaluation. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a value of rehabilitation in a PMR ward after THA, but good methodological quality studies are needed to evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of rehabilitation in a PMR ward after THA in the French health care system.

Preventing the occurrence of pressure ulceration in hospitalised elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which factors contribute to the development of pressure ulcers and to evaluate the role of topical agents in preventing their occurrence. METHOD: An observational, prospective survey covered 36 care of the elderly wards and involved 1121 patients at high or very high risk of pressure ulceration. The patients, of whom 667 (59.6%) received a gentle application of a topical agent to at-risk areas, were followed up for eight weeks. RESULTS: Of the patients, 15.7% developed a pressure ulcer. The use of a corpitolinol 60-based topical agent (Sanyrène/Corpitol) significantly reduced the incidence of pelvic pressure ulcers (p=0.04) when used with recognised prevention strategies. This was identified by undertaking a logistic regression analysis. The resulting odds ratio of 0.61 indicates that the intervention helped to reduce the number of pressure ulcers by 40%. CONCLUSION: The results of this observational study can provide a useful guide to the design of further randomised controlled trials.

[Should antiseptics be used for chronic wounds?]. / Faut-il utiliser les antiseptiques sur les plaies chroniques ?

Using antiseptics is common, it is adequate on safe skin, but no scientific study allow their use on break skin. Then, cicatrisation is a complex process with a physiological bacteriocycle. Usual antiseptics are responsible of fibroblasts destruction and only a short effect on bacteries. So, it is logical not to use antiseptics on break skin.

Nursing and medical care of pressure ulcers in hospitals in France.

The prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospitals in France is given, and the anatomical location of these ulcers is explored. The importance of establishing accurate stages for these wounds is also emphasized. Four methods of cost-effectiveness analysis are proposed and described: analysis of one case; analysis of one ward; analysis of care time; and analysis of one tetraplegic young man.

A survey of pressure sore prevalence in hospitals in the greater Paris region.

In 1993 a preliminary survey was conducted in the Hospital of Gonesse to examine pressure sore prevalence. The averages obtained showed that 5.4% of patients in hospital suffer from pressure sores. This prompted a further investigation involving 12,050 patients: 5.2% were found to have pressure sores. Patients with pressure sores were significantly older (76.4 +/- 14 years) than the average age of patients in the study, and 42% of pressure sores were found in patients with neurological pathology. The majority of patients (57%) had a single pressure sore. Most were grade I lesions (38%). The greatest number of pressure sores were found on the medium and long-stay wards. A nationwide complementary survey is now being undertaken to confirm these overall results.