Dependency-related skin lesions in the prone critical patient. Incidence study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of dependence-related skin lesions (DRSL) in patients in prone position (PP) and to identify the predisposing factors. METHOD: Follow-up study in two polyvalent intensive care units. Patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation and PP with no skin lesions on admission were included. We recorded the 3 types of DRSL: (pressure ulcers [PU], moisture-associated skin damage [MASD] and friction injuries [FI]), demographic variables, diagnosis, length of stay, PP episodes, postural changes, APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System), prealbumin level on admission, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, hypertension, smoking, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), vasoactive drugs, Braden scale and mortality. Bivariate analysis: chi-square test, t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Multivariate analysis: logistic regression. RESULTS: Forty nine patients were included and 170PP were performed.Forty-one DRSL appeared in 22 patients with a cumulative incidence of 44.9% (95%CI: 31.6-58.7). PU accounted for 63.4% (73.1% facial; 76.9% stage II), 12.2% were MASD (60% inguinal; 60% stage II) and 24.4% were FI (50% thoracic; 70% stage III). The median age of the lesion group (LG) was 66.5 [61.8-71.3] vs. 64 [43-71] years old in the non-lesion group (NLG), p=0.04. Eighty percent of the LG had PVD vs. 20% of the NLG, p=0.03. The median total hours on PP of the LG was 96.9 [56.1-149.4] vs. 38.2 [18.8-57] of the NIG, p<0.001. Multivariate analysis selected total PP hours (OR=1.03; 95%CI:1.01-1.05) and PVD (OR=8.9; 95%CI:1.3-58.9) as predisposing factors for developing DRSL. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high incidence of skin lesions related to prone decubitus dependence, mostly pressure lesions, although of low severity.The accumulated hours in probe position and peripheral vascular disease favor their development.

Efficacy of a comprehensive strategy to reduce moisture-associated skin damage in an intensive care unit: A quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: Assess the impact of a bundle of interventions to reduce the incidence of moisture-associated skin damage in an intensive care unit. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study with pre-post comparison carried out in a general intensive care unit. The intervention consisted of an online training on skin lesions and implementation of a skin care program. In the pre-post intervention period, the skin of the pelvic area was assessed daily until the appearance of a moisture-related lesion or intensive care unit discharge. Demographic and clinical variables, type of moisture lesion and severity were collected. To assess the impact of the intervention the odds ratio (OR) adjusted for the confounding variables was used. RESULTS: Trained nurses accounted for 87.7%. In each phase 145 patients were studied. The incidence of moisture-associated skin damage in the pre-phase was of 29% and 14.5% in the post phase. The OR adjusted for the confounding variables (ICU length of stay, obesity, faecal incontinence and non-communicative patients) was 0.44 (95%CI:0.23-0.82). The reduction of incontinence-associated dermatitis presented an OR of 0.81 (95%CI:0.30-2.16) and intertriginous dermatitis of 0.39 (95%CI:0.17-0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Online training for nurses and the introduction of structured skin care reduced by half the moisture-associated skin damage, especially intertriginous dermatitis.

[Differentiation between moisture lesions and pressure ulcers using photographs in a critical area]. / Diferenciación entre lesiones cutáneas asociadas a la humedad y úlceras por presión mediante el uso de fotografías en un área de críticos.

OBJECTIVES: To identify difficulties for nurses in differentiating between moisture lesions and pressure ulcers, proper classification of pressure ulcers to assess the adequate classification of the Grupo Nacional para el Estudio y Asesoramiento de Úlceras por Presión y Heridas Crónicas (GNEAUPP) and the degree of agreement in the correct assessment by type and category of injury. METHOD: Cross-sectional study in a critical area during 2014. All nurses who agreed to participate were included. They performed a questionnaire with 14 photographs validated by experts of moisture lesions or pressure ulcers in the sacral area and buttocks, with 6 possible answers: Pressure ulcer category I, II, III, IV, moisture lesions and unknown. Demographics and knowledge of the classification system of the pressure ulcers were collected according to GNEAUPP. RESULTS: It involved 98% of the population (n=56); 98.2% knew the classification system of the GNEAUPP; 35.2% of moisture lesions were considered as pressure ulcers, most of them as a category II (18.9%). The 14.8% of the pressure ulcers photographs were identified as moisture lesions and 16.1% were classified in another category. The agreement between nurses earned a global Kappa index of .38 (95% CI: .29-.57). CONCLUSION: There are difficulties differentiating between pressure ulcers and moisture lesions, especially within initial categories. Nurses have the perception they know the pressure ulcers classification, but they do not classify them correctly. The degree of concordance in the diagnosis of skin lesions was low.

[The interarm blood pressure difference in the critically ill patient]. / Diferencias de presión arterial entre brazos en el paciente crítico.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of a difference in systolic blood pressure (SBPd) ≥ 10 mmHg between arms in patients admitted in a Critical Care Unit and to examine the clinical characteristics associated with such blood pressure difference. METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study. Two blood pressure measurements in each arm were carried out at unit admission. The firstly measured arm was chosen at random. RESULTS: One-hundred and sixty-eight patients were studied, with a mean age of 61 (SD=16), 67.3% male and 45% with a previous hypertension diagnosis. On admission, 27.4% presented SBPd ≥ 10 mmHg. Among them, 54% had higher SBP in the right arm and 46% in the left one. A SBPd ≥ 10 mmHg was associated with a previous hypertension diagnosis (67.4 versus 36.9%; P<.001) and with reduced consciousness (76.1 versus 52.5%; P=.006). CONCLUSIONS: Over a quarter of critically ill patients have a SBPd ≥ 10 mmHg between arms. This feature is associated with a previous hypertension diagnosis and reduced consciousness. It should be assessed in the future if the choice of a control arm would help improve patient's care as it would become a more accurate guide for hemodynamic management.