Use of digital images in the assessment and treatment of pressure ulcers in patients with spinal injuries in community settings.
We conducted a retrospective review of the digital images in the clinical records of 50 patients with pressure ulcers. Ten nurses independently assessed one image from each patient. There was a total of 414 responses from the nurses about the stage and location of the ulcers (83% response rate). The average agreement about the stage and location of the ulcers was 85%. The overall agreement declined as the stage of the ulcer increased. The average agreement regarding the wound descriptors was: necrosis 85%, granulation tissue 81%, ischaemia 83%, cellulitis /infection 69%, erythema 68%. Almost all nurses felt the need to change the current management of the wound (460 responses, or 92%). The nurses judged that most digital images were of good quality (17%) or very good quality (79%). The present study suggests that a high percentage of assessments for patients currently travelling to specialist clinics could be performed in the community using digital images and telemedicine.
Research Centre for Society and Health, Buckinghamshire New University, 106 Oxford Road, Uxbridge, UK. Firas.sarhan@btinternet.com
Firas
F
Sarhan
Gwyn
G
Weatherburn
Allison
A
Graham
Chinnaya
C
Thiyagarajan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010781:Photography / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications; D014945:Wound Healing