Inter-device agreement of sacral subepidermal oedema measurement in healthy adults during prolonged 60° head of bed elevation.
Sharon L Latimer, Madeline Bone, Rachel M Walker and 2 others
PMID 38391104WHAT IT FOUND
Two subepidermal moisture scanners agreed on pressure injury risk in healthy adults during prolonged head-of-bed elevation, despite statistical differences at some timepoints.
Both devices consistently classified participants as low risk. Nurses can use either device to guide prevention strategies.
Key findings
01Both devices determined the same level of pressure injury risk in healthy adults, even though they did not achieve the same level of agreement across all seven timepoints.
02At three timepoints where statistical agreement was not found, both devices still measured mean sacral delta values below 0.6, indicating comparable low risk.
03Statistical non-significance, indicating agreement, was found in only 4 of the 7 paired tests between the devices.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted on 20 healthy adults, not on hospitalized patients who are actually at risk for pressure injuries. The sample size was small and chosen for exploratory purposes. Participants were mostly non-smokers with no major comorbidities like diabetes or vascular disease, which limits generalizability to typical hospital populations. The study did not include participants with a range of skin tones, which can affect visual and potentially device-based assessment.
Declared interests
None declared. No specific funding was received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the devices are interchangeable for all patients based on this study. The participants were healthy volunteers, not those with compromised skin or circulation. The statistical differences at some timepoints mean the devices are not perfectly identical in measurement, even if they agreed on the risk category here.