Healthcare Technology Featured Article

December 16, 2013

Wellsense Technology Decreases Pressure Ulcers with ICU Patients


According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2.5 million people in the US develop pressure ulcers annually, resulting in the death of 60,000 patients due to complications. The research also revealed there was more than a half million US hospital admissions per year where pressure ulcers have been determined to be the primary or secondary diagnosis. The cost to the healthcare system in the country amounts to $11.5 billion annually with incremental cost of extended hospitalization of up to $120,000 per ulcer. This is a condition that can be avoided, but it is man power intensive at a time when healthcare organizations are facing shortages.

A solution using the Wellsense MAP technology has been proven to decrease pressure ulcer occurrence in ICU patients according to a new research published in WOUNDS, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on wound care and wound research.

The study conducted by WOUNDS, "A Continuous Bedside Pressure Mapping System for Prevention of Pressure Ulcer Development in the ICU: A Retrospective Analysis," showed only one out of 307 (0.3 percent) patients using real-time continuous bedside pressure mapping (CBPM) technology developed a pressure ulcer. On the other hand it occurred in 16 out of 320 (5 percent) patients in the historical control group who were placed on the same beds without the M.A.P one year prior during.

Additionally 90 percent of the respondent said it improved pressure detection and relief, while 88 percent said it helped in repositioning protocols.

The MAP system has a pressure sensing mat made of intelligent textile which is able to measure pressure from thousands of discrete points. Changes in pressure points across the patient's body are displayed on the monitor using red and blue colors to indicate high and low pressure points. This allows the patient and caretaker the ability to quickly and easily identify areas of high-pressure and reduce the complications associated with pressure ulcers.

The system is the first of its kind continuous bedside monitoring system that has been clinically proven to detect and depict the changes in pressure points across the patient's body.

"Patient repositioning to offload high-pressure areas is an essential component of pressure ulcer prevention for bed-bound patients. In most settings, the quantity and quality of offloading and repositioning are difficult to measure but real-time continuous bedside pressure mapping unblinds caregivers to be able to see instant pressure distribution data and then off-load pressure accordingly," said lead investigator Aamir Siddiqui, MD, Division Head of Plastic Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. 




Edited by Cassandra Tucker
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