Scientists from the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada are developing algorithms that predict the appearance of pressure ulcers in immobilized patients.

Researchers from the groups Ee01-Vigia Surveillance of Health and Epidemiology and Ee12-HYGIA: Care and conditioning factors in health of the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), have developed two decision trees for the evaluation of the risk of appearance of pressure ulcers in immobilized patients. These algorithms consist of visual and simplified tools that complement professional knowledge and serve to standardize quick decision-making in patients susceptible to developing this type of injury.

Pressure ulcers are injuries that occur due to continuous pressure on the skin, underlying tissues or cuts and are generally located on bony prominences. These injuries represent an important health problem since they have a very significant impact on the mortality and morbidity of immobilized patients. The increase in the life expectancy of the population leads to an increase in the appearance of pressure ulcers, with the greater number of interventions being carried out by nursing staff, which entails a greater workload, which may be a risk factor. risk for the development of serious health problems. Quick decision making and distribution of resources is essential to prevent the appearance of these undesirable ulcers.

This Granada study carried out in the Granada-Metropolitan Primary Care Health District and led by Eugenio Vera Salmerón, has had the participation of more than 15.000 patients from 36 Clinical Management Units, 55 socio-health centers and 119 nurses. Two ways of conducting a pressure ulcer risk assessment based on a decision tree approach have been developed. The first form is based on the characteristics of activity and mobility of the Braden scale, where activity was highlighted as the first characteristic to be assessed. Activity is valued as the difference in activity between a person who lives exclusively in bed (no activity), the one who lives in bed and an armchair or the one who walks around the house with help (little activity) or the one who walks with little help at home, but cannot leave without help (normal activity). The second way is based on the characteristics of activity, mobility and humidity in the skin, where the activity would also be the first variable to consider, the next the humidity of the skin and, when necessary, the mobility is the last one to take into account. bill.

In short, this ibs.GRANADA study could provide nursing staff with tools that confidently support their professional criteria based on the patient's characteristics, such as activity, mobility and skin moisture, which can be interpreted by the trained eye of a professional.

About the research groups

The research group "Vigia: Health Surveillance and Epidemiology" of the ibs.GRANADA, is made up of professionals from Primary Care (Nursing, Epidemiology, Pharmacy, Health Promotion) and Hospital Care (Preventive Medicine), who have two projects with funding competition in recent years on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Intensive Dietary Council for the reduction of Cardiovascular Risk and a study of Follow-up of the elderly with Pressure Ulcers and Quality of Life. His main lines of research focus on the quality of life in the elderly, the variability of clinical practice and the effectiveness of interventions in health promotion.

The research group "HYGIA: Care and conditioning factors in health" has professionals from different disciplines, both from the University of Granada and from the Granada-Metropolitan Primary Care Health District and from the "Virgen de las Nieves" and "Virgen de las Nieves" University Hospitals. Clínico San Cecilio" in Granada, and has several research projects financed through competitive calls in different lines, such as end-of-life care and lifestyles and health.

More information about the groups at:

https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/ee01-vigia-vigilancia-de-salud-y-epidemiologia/

https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/ee12-hygia/

Bibliographic reference:

Vera-Salmerón, E.; Dominguez-Nogueira, C.; Romero-Béjar, JL; Saez, JA; Mota-Romero, E. Decision-Tree-Based Approach for Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment in Immobilized Patients. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022,19, 11161. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811161