ORIGINAL ARTICLE   Free access

Panminerva Medica 2019 December;61(4):449-56

DOI: 10.23736/S0031-0808.18.03592-9

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Efficacy of a motorized air support to prevent pressure ulcers in at-risk patients hospitalized in rehabilitation departments: incidence and prevalence studies

Yves STURM ¹, Véronique DELOBBE ², François-André ALLAERT ³ ✉, Eric POT ⁴, Bertrand PERRIN ⁵, Lamine GOITA ⁶, Yves DRUELLE ⁷, Sylvie AUFAURE ⁸

¹ Private Practitioner, Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur, France; ² CHRU of Lille, Lille, France; ³ Department of Medical Evaluation, CHU de Dijon, Dijon, France; ⁴ Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital of La Bassée, La Bassée, France; ⁵ Department of Rehabilitation, Fontaine-lès-Dijon, France; ⁶ Department of Rehabilitation, Hospital of Pithiviers, Pithiviers, France; ⁷ Department of Rehabilitation, Departmental Hospital of Felleries-Liessies, Felleries, France; ⁸ Department of Rehabilitation, Sud Ile-de-France Hospital, Melun, France

BACKGROUND: The main objective was to assess the reduction of the pressure ulcers prevalence which could be obtained if Ascalis Optimo® mattresses were made available ad libitum in rehabilitation services (RS) by comparison to prevalence as observed in the national PERSE study (historical control) in similar departments using a variety of prevention aids.
METHODS: This cross-sectional prevalence study was combined with a prospective study of the incidence of pressure ulcer occurrence in the high-risk target population whose beds were systematically equipped with the studied support.
RESULTS: The prevalence study shows that 12 of the 369 patients presented pressure ulcers which occurred when Ascalis Optimo® was used. It corresponds to a prevalence of 3.3% [1.4, 5.1] which is significantly lower than those recorded in the PERSE Study: 11.8% [10.8; 12.8] P<0.0001. The ulcer incidence study was conducted on 71 patients hospitalized on a bed with an Ascalis Optimo® support because of their high risk of pressure ulcers. When taking into account all pressure ulcers’ stages and locations, 6 patients had a pressure ulcer corresponding to an incidence of 8.5% [3.2; 17.5]. When taking into account, only stages 2 to 4 as generally done in literature, 2 patients had a pressure ulcer i.e. an incidence of 2.8% [0.0; 6.7].
CONCLUSIONS: The significant decrease of the prevalence of pressure ulcer in the rehabilitation departments where Ascalis Optimo® were available when compared to the current prevalence observed in rehabilitation services and moreover the results of the study of pressure ulcer incidence in patients bedridden on Ascalis Optimo®, shows the benefit provided to patients in terms of pressure ulcers prevention.

KEY WORDS: Pressure ulcer; Prevalence; Prevention and control; Incidence