BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a common and serious complication in patients who are immobile in health care settings. Nurses play a fundamental role in the prevention of PUs; however, novice nurses lack experience in clinical situations. Virtual reality (VR) is highly conducive to clinical- and procedure-focused training because it facilitates simulations.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the feasibility of a novel PU management VR simulation (PU-VRSim) program using a head-mounted display for novice nurses and to investigate how different types of learning materials (ie, VR or a video-based lecture) impact learning outcomes and experiences.
METHODS: PU-VRSim was created in the Unity 3D platform. This mixed methods pilot quasi-experimental study included 35 novice nurses categorized into the experimental (n=18) and control (n=17) groups. The PU-VRSim program was applied using VR in the experimental group, whereas the control group received a video-based lecture. The PU knowledge test, critical thinking disposition measurement tool, and Korean version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale were assessed before and after the intervention in both groups. After the intervention, the experimental group was further assessed using the Clinical Judgment Rubric and interviewed to evaluate their experience with PU-VRSim.
RESULTS: The results compared before and after the intervention showed significant improvements in PU knowledge in both the experimental group (P=.001) and control group (P=.005). There were no significant differences in self-efficacy and critical thinking in either group. The experimental group scored a mean of 3.23 (SD 0.44) points (accomplished) on clinical judgment, assessed using a 4-point scale. The experimental group interviews revealed that the VR simulation was realistic and helpful for learning about PU management.
CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that PU-VRSim could improve novice nurses\' learning of PU management in realistic environments. Further studies using VR for clinical training are recommended for novice nurses.

BACKGROUND: Decubitus ulcers are prevalent among the aging population due to a gradual decline in their overall health, such as nutrition, mental health, and mobility, resulting in injury to the skin and tissue. The most common technique to prevent these ulcers is through frequent repositioning to redistribute body pressures. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to facilitate the timely repositioning of patients through the use of a pressure mat to identify in-bed postures in various sleep environments. Pressure data were collected from 10 healthy participants lying down on a pressure mat in 19 various in-bed postures, correlating to the supine, prone, right-side, and left-side classes. In addition, pressure data were collected from participants sitting at the edge of the bed as well as an empty bed. Each participant was asked to lie in these 19 postures in three distinct testing environments: a hospital bed, a home bed, and a home bed with a foam mattress topper. To categorize each posture into its respective class, the pre-trained 2D ResNet-18 CNN and the pre-trained Inflated 3D CNN algorithms were trained and validated using image and video pressure mapped data, respectively.
RESULTS: The ResNet-18 and Inflated 3D CNN algorithms were validated using leave-one-subject-out (LOSO) and leave-one-environment-out (LOEO) cross-validation techniques. LOSO provided an average accuracy of 92.07% ± 5.72% and 82.22% ± 8.50%, for the ResNet-18 and Inflated 3D CNN algorithms, respectively. Contrastingly, LOEO provided a reduced average accuracy of 85.37% ± 14.38% and 77.79% ± 9.76%, for the ResNet-18 and Inflated 3D CNN algorithms, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: These pilot results indicate that the proposed algorithms can accurately distinguish between in-bed postures, on unseen participant data as well as unseen mattress environment data. The proposed algorithms can establish the basis of a decubitus ulcer prevention platform that can be applied to various sleeping environments. To the best of our knowledge, the impact of mattress stiffness has not been considered in previous studies regarding in-bed posture monitoring.

UNASSIGNED: Pressure injuries (PIs) often develop in critically ill patients due to immobility, and underlying comorbidities that decrease tissue perfusion and wound healing capacity. This study sought to provide epidemiological data on determinants and current managements practices of PI in patients with COVID-19.
UNASSIGNED: A US national insurance-based database consisting of patients with coronavirus or COVID-19 diagnoses was used for data collection. Patients were filtered by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes corresponding to coronavirus or COVID-19 diagnosis between 2019-2020. Diagnosis of PI following COVID-19 diagnosis was queried. Demographic data and comorbidity information was compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors for both PI development and likelihood of operative debridement.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 1,477,851 patients with COVID-19 were identified. Of these, 15,613 (1.06%) subsequently developed a PI, and 8074 (51.7%) of these patients had an intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The average and median time between diagnosis of COVID-19 and PI was 39.4 and 26 days, respectively. PI was more likely to occur in patients with COVID-19 with: diabetes (odds ratio (OR): 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29-1.49; p<0.001); coronary artery disease (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04-1.18, p=0.002), hypertension (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.26-1.64; p<0.001); chronic kidney disease (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10-1.26; p<0.001); depression (OR: 1.45, 95% CI 1.36-1.54; p<0.001); and long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05-1.40; p=0.007). They were also more likely in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.31-1.48; p<0.001); and patients requiring vasopressors (OR:1.25, 95% CI: 1.13-1.38; p<0.001), intubation (OR: 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.39; p=0.004), or with a diagnosis of sepsis (OR: 2.38, 95% CI 2.22-2.55; p<0.001). ICU admission, sepsis, buttock and lower back PI along with increasing Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (OR: 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.08; p=0.043) was associated with surgical debridement. The vast majority of patients with COVID-19 did not undergo operative debridement or wound coverage.
UNASSIGNED: PIs are widely prevalent in patients with COVID-19, especially in those who are critically ill, yet the vast majority do not undergo operative procedures.
UNASSIGNED: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Sacral sore is a common problem in patients with spinal cord injury. It leads to prolonged hospitalization and recurrent infections which might require repeated surgery to treat. Flap reconstruction allows soft tissue coverage of sacral sore under the premise of infection-free wound base. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) has been described as an alternative non-surgical management as opposed to the traditional surgical debridement in case of infected sore, reducing number of surgeries under anaesthesia. However, MDT and surgery are not mutually exclusive. In this article we describe a hybrid approach combining MDT and flap reconstruction with multi-disciplinary effort in management of sacral sore, which accelerates wound healing and prevents morbidities, while lowering the risks associated with repeated surgical debridement at the same time.

BACKGROUND: Various reconstruction options have been introduced to treat decubitus ulcers. A combined flap that takes advantage of the fasciocutaneous and muscle flaps has been proven to be effective in reconstructing decubitus ulcers in previous studies. However, no studies have measured combined flap thickness. This is the first study to demonstrate the superiority of the combined flap by measuring its thickness using enhanced abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT).
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate combined flap modality as a useful reconstruction option for decubitus ulcers using measurements obtained through APCT.
METHODS: Fifteen patients with paraplegia who underwent combined flap surgery for reconstruction of decubitus ulcers between March 2020 and December 2021 were included. The defects in the skin and muscle components were reconstructed separately. The inner gluteus muscle flap was split and manipulated to obliterate dead space. The outer fasciocutaneous flap was transposed to cover the muscle flap and opening of the decubitus ulcer. Subsequently, we performed enhanced APCT at 3 wk and 6 mo postoperatively to measure the flap thickness.
RESULTS: The mean flap thickness was 32.85 ± 8.89 mm at 3 wk postoperatively and 29.27 ± 8.22 mm at 6 mo postoperatively. The flap thickness was maintained without any major complications such as contour deformities or recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a significant decrease in flap thickness as measured by APCT, the combined flap provided sufficient padding and maintained its thickness even at 6 mo after reconstruction, suggesting that the combined flap modality may be a useful reconstruction option for patients with paraplegic decubitus ulcers.

暂无摘要。

In this study, we sought to clarify the patient traits and comorbidities that are associated with pressure injury recurrence following pressure injury reconstruction. An insurance claims database, PearlDiver, was used to conduct a retrospective cohort study. The two cohorts included patients who underwent pressure injury reconstruction without recurrence and patients who experienced recurrence with subsequent reconstruction. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for recurrence after reconstruction. Recurrence was associated with hypoalbuminemia (p < 0.05), paraplegia (p < 0.05), and osteomyelitis (p < 0.05). In patients with osteomyelitis, primary closure was associated with recurrence (p < 0.05) while flap reconstruction was not (p > 0.05). Osteomyelitis was not associated with recurrence after flap reconstruction. Prior to reconstruction, patients with osteomyelitis and hypoalbuminemia should have their nutrition and infection optimised.

Pressure-ulcer related pelvic osteomyelitis is managed with little high-quality evidence. We undertook an international survey of orthopedic surgical management, covering diagnostic parameters, multidisciplinary input, and surgical approaches (indications, timing, wound closure, and adjunctive therapies). This identified areas of consensus and disagreement, representing a starting point for future discussion and research.

OBJECTIVE: The most common postoperative complication when treating a pressure ulcer with a flap or primary closure is early wound dehiscence. In this study, we aimed to investigate the cause of early wound dehiscence and its associated risk factors. Early wound dehiscence was defined as the wound dehiscence within the post operation period where no weight or tension is applied to the wound.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 40 patients with pressure ulcers (69 sites). We calculated the significant difference in the incidence of wound dehiscence between the groups for the following 15 factors : age, obesity, emaciation, diabetes mellitus, smoking, ulcer site, musculocutaneous flap, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, presence of two or more types of bacteria, albumin level, C-reactive protein level, white blood cell count, hemoglobin level, operative time, and ulcer size.
RESULTS: Bacteria were detected in all wounds with early dehiscence, which was found in 28 (40.6%) of the 69 cases. C-reactive protein level, albumin level, musculocutaneous flap, and operative time were found to be risk factors for early wound dehiscence using the χ2-test and t-test. (P?=?0.011, 0.045, 0.018, and 0.003, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: The cause of dehiscence was considered to be surgical site infection. C-reactive protein level, albumin level, musculocutaneous flap, and operative time may be risk factors of the occurrence of early wound dehiscence. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 101-104, February, 2023.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in medical care can raise diagnosis accuracy and improve its uniformity. This study developed a diagnostic imaging system for chronic wounds that can be used in medically underpopulated areas. The image identification algorithm searches for patterns and makes decisions based on information obtained from pixels rather than images. Images of 50 patients with pressure sores treated at Kobe University Hospital were examined. The algorithm determined the presence of necrosis with a significant difference (p = 3.39 × 10-5). A threshold value was created with a luminance difference of 50 for the group with necrosis of 5% or more black pixels. In the no-necrosis group with less than 5% black pixels, the threshold value was created with a brightness difference of 100. The \"shallow wounds\" were distributed below 100, whereas the \"deep wounds\" were distributed above 100. When the algorithm was applied to 24 images of 23 new cases, there was 100% agreement between the specialist and the algorithm regarding the presence of necrotic tissue and wound depth evaluation. The algorithm identifies the necrotic tissue and wound depth without requiring a large amount of data, making it suitable for application to future AI diagnosis systems for chronic wounds.