Earlier is better in the treatment of Pressure Injuries/Ulcers (PI/PUs), where a timely intervention can reverse the damage and prevent redness at the skin level.
#PreventionMadeReal
Please select from our real world evidence detailed below to find out more.
Nicky Ore. et al., Head of Clinical Governance, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust EPUAP, Lyon, France, 2019
Aim to prevent and reduce the numbers of pressure injuries/ulcers (PI/PUs) developed within the community care setting
A total of 445 PI/PUs were reported by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Community Services during Q1 2019/20
This included: Present on admission Developed whilst on the caseload Deterioration whilst on the caseload
2 pilot district nursing sites identified for a 12-week study with a focus on palliative care patients
Patients scanned 4 - 5 days per week
Intervention was implemented depending upon the results of the SEM Scanner readings
16.1% PI/PU incidence in the pre-study pilot period
11.8% PI/PU incidence achieved during study pilot period
Prevalence during the study period reduced by 26.9%
Trust Executive Team agreed to procure SEM Scanners for every District Nursing Team and Ward 35 (Intermediate Care)
Cross Community Trust implementation of SEM Scanner into clinical practice ongoing in conjunction with operational leads and front-line staff
EWMA, Bremen, Germany 2016
To develop a holistic risk assessment as part a prevention strategy to support a zero-tolerance policy for avoidable Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries/Ulcers (HAPI/Us)
6 month pilot on 2 wards at a community facility during 2015. This was to develop a new pressure injury/ulcer (PI/PU) prevention strategy termed the Pressure Damage Prevention Bundle. The development of the matrix was to provide clinicians with a focused visual tool to aid clinical decision making
Patients were scanned on admission then 2 and 3 days post admission. Patients are classed into one of the 4 quadrants based on their risk assessment and SEM Scanner values and the treatment protocols were applied based on which quadrant the patient was assessed into
Following the 6 month pilot on the 2 clinical ward areas Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury/Ulcer (HAPI/U) incidence reduced to below 0.1%
Previously patients would have been allocated a special mattress regardless based on an elevated risk assessment score
The results of the SEM Scanner pilot at a community facility demonstrated that using the SEM Scanner (in combination with traditional standards of visual skin assessment) led to more sensitive and specific patient diagnosis. When acted on, these combined evidences resulted in a dramatic drop in PI/PU incidence
Sharon O’Keeffe, CNS Tissue Viability & Pat McCluskey Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Cork University Hospital, Ireland Tissue Viability Conference, Southampton, UK, 2019
To compare the clinical utility of using a SEM Scanning device versus subjective visual skin inspection in the early detection of Category 1 Pressure Injury/Ulcer (PI/PU)
To observe whether SEM data triggers the allocation of preventative interventions
To compare the rate of Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury/Ulcer (HAPI/U) before and during the SEM Scanner evaluation
32 orthopedic/plastic surgery patients
Waterlow ≥ 10 (at risk to very high risk)
12 week duration
3 consecutive readings taken from sacrum, heels and ischial tuberosities
SEM Delta of ≥0.6 = increased risk of PI/PU
Pre-evaluation HAPI/U incidence rate = 12%
No patients developed a HAPI/U during the evaluation
72% (n=23) patients showed evidence of incipient tissue damage
15 subjects with no visible signs of damage 33% (n=5) had positive scan results indicative of underlying damage
SEM Scanning presents an exciting innovation... a method of objectively assessing tissue health before damage becomes visible
Delta readings prompted front line staff to implement targeted interventions
5 patients potentially receiving preventative measures that they may not have had otherwise
Rose Raizman. et al., Scarborough Health Network, Canada
International Wound Journal, 2018, 1-12
A two-phased study designed to evaluate the clinical utility of the SEM Scanner and to see if the Hawthorne effect played a part in the results
Phase 1 - patients provided with a standard of care risk assessment and interventions and scanning by SEM Scanner but the resulting SEM scores were not used to determine interventions
Phase 2 - identical to phase 1 except that the resulting SEM scores were used in conjunction with risk assessment to determine appropriate interventions and care planning
284 patients evaluated in the 2 phases On 3 inpatient wards Over a 7-month period
Phase 1 results:
12/89 patients developed pressure injuries/ulcers (PI/PUs) (4 category 1, 6 Category 2, 1 Category 3 and 1 Deep Tissue Injury (DTI).
Phase 2 results:
2/195 patients developed PI/PUs (1 Category 1 and 1 Category 2).
This illustrated a 93% reduction in Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury/Ulcer (HAPI/PUs) compared to phase 1.
93% decrease in HAPI/U rate following interventions using the SEM Scanner scores
A strategic approach to PI/PU management with the use of SEM Scanner for identification of PI/PU improves patients outcomes
SEM Scanner made non-visible damage identifiable by providing a numerical readout, alerting clinicians to implement stronger prevention strategies.
No Hawthorne effect noted
Glenn Smith, Formerly Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nutrition & Tissue Viability, St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of White
Journal of Wound Care, 2019, Vol 28:5
Evaluation of a sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) Scanner to detect non visible pressure damage, allowing appropriately targeted pressure injury/ulcer (PI/PU) prevention interventions
Evaluation on a medical-surgical inpatient ward over a period of 2 months
35 patients included in the evaluation
Heels and sacrum scanned on admission and daily thereafter
91% of patients had delta values ≥0.6 indicating inflammatory changes that without intervention may have progressed to a PI/PU
Zero Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries/Ulcers (HAPI/Us) developed during the evaluation in this patient group
The inclusion of SEM Scanner as part of the patient examination informed clinicians about early damage
Identification of pressure damage prior to it being visible would allow the most appropriate resource use
Gillian Raine, Lead Nurse, Marie Curie, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Patient Safety Congress, Manchester, UK, 2018
A quality drive for improvement to prevent damage occurring
Hospice Acquired Pressure Injuries/Ulcers (HAPI/Us) data for 34 patients developed 36 PI/PUs from Nov 2016 - Nov 2017
Overall HAPI/Us incidence rate = 9% prior to using SEM Scanner
6 Month pilot period
Focus on sacrum, buttocks & heels
All patients
Baseline scan performed as part of admission protocol, including Waterlow Risk Assessment & SSKIN check
Daily scan thereafter
Evaluation period of pilot incidence rate 4.8%
Pre pilot period incidence rate 9%
Reduction HAPI/U incidence rate 47%
Move to full implementation of SEM Scanner with the creation of own tools and guidelines for use
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