title: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Combination of Ultrasonographic and Thermographic Assessments for Predicting Partial-thickness Pressure Ulcer Healing ﻿.
abstract: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿The ability to predict the prognosis of a pressure ulcer is re- quired to establish appropriate management in the early phase. The present study reports the usefulness of a combined assessment tech- nique using ultrasonography and thermography for predicting delayed wound healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cohort study included 37 patients with Stage I or II pressure ulcers. The patients were followed up for at least 3 weeks. The ultrasonographic and thermographic as- sessments were conducted at the initial multidisciplinary team round. The presence of four ultrasonographic features (unclear layered struc- ture, hypoechoic lesion, discontinuous fascia, and heterogeneous hy- poechoic area) and one thermographic feature (increased temperature) were determined from within the wound bed. Wound healing was re- assessed after 2 weeks and the rate of area reduction was calculated to determine whether the pressure ulcer was healing properly. A mul- tivariate logistic analysis was used to assess the predictive values of the possible assessment features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A comprehensive review of the ultrasonographic and thermographic assessments of the pressure ulcers found that the combination of unclear layered structure and increased temperature was beneficial for predicting wound healing. When a pressure ulcer presented with an unclear layered structure and increased temperature in the wound bed, the risk of delayed wound healing or wound deterioration was 6.85 times higher compared with a pressure ulcer that did not have these manifestations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of ultrasonographic and thermographic assessments facilitates precise prediction of pressure ulcer outcomes.
authors: ﻿﻿Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Gojiro
authors: G
authors: Nakagami
authors: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Email: hsanada-tky@umin.ac.jp.
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Sanada
authors: Department of Plastic Surgery, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
authors: Takuya
authors: T
authors: Higashino
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takafumi
authors: T
authors: Kadono
authors: Department of Plastic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Gentaro
authors: G
authors: Uchida
authors: Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Fujita
authors: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Ogawa
authors: ﻿Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Iizaka
authors: Department of Nursing, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan.
authors: Hiroe
authors: H
authors: Koyanagi
authors: Department of Nursing, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan.
authors: Sanae
authors: S
authors: Sasaki
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Nobuhiko
authors: N
authors: Haga