Evaluating pressure ulceration with thermography and ultrasound: A study to evaluate patients with pressure ulceration, (Stages 2-4) within Nottingham University Hospital (Queens Medical Centre) using skin ultrasound and thermography.

Abstract

Pressure ulceration is a major international problem affecting many health care settings particularly elderly and acute care. Within the UK, pressure ulcers "cost the NHS more than £3.8 million every day” http://nhs.stopthepressure.co.uk/. Our research team involves staff and students from: the Universities of Montpellier, Tokyo and Kanazawa; and health care practitioners from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Copenhagen Centre for Wound Healing. This research is the UK's first replication of a pressure ulcer assessment protocol created by our Japan partners which has the potential to impact upon UK care delivery in this area. Between 4th and 8th September 2017 we will visit wards at the Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, and assess all consenting, adult patients with a pressure ulcer greater than grade one (including grade two). The potential patients will be identified using hospital statistics by the patient’s usual care providing teams. We will complete a physical assessment of the pressure ulcer/s using CE marked technology, provided by the Japanese, which assesses skin temperature and wound depth. The assessment will be conducted by qualified healthcare practitioners, from the NHS and international partners. We will complete a questionnaire regarding the characteristics of the pressure ulcer/s. This data will be used to generate a profile of patient tissue changes in Nottingham for comparison with those in Japan. Three weeks later a team of NHS nurses will complete a follow up assessment, in which the length and width of the pressure ulcer will be measured, to see if this new assessment method is a good predictor of healing. If the patient is still in hospital, the Queens Medical Centre nurses will complete this follow up; if they have been discharged, Tissue Viability Nurses from Nottingham CityCare will complete the assessments with guidance from the Queens Medical Centre nurses.