Article
Infectious Diseases
Reem Binsuwaidan, Mohammad Aatif Khan, Raghad H. Alzahrani, Aljoharah M. Aldusaymani, Noura M. Almallouhi, Alhanouf S. Alsabti, Sajjad Ali, Omar Sufyan Khan, Amira M. Youssef, Lina I. Alnajjar
Summary: A pressure ulcer is a common complication in patients with spinal cord injuries, and the most frequently isolated bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. The study found that more than half of the bacteria were sensitive to commonly tested antibiotics, while approximately 10% were drug-resistant.
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Gong Huiming, Wang Yuming, Yang Mingliang, Liu Changbin, Huang Qiuchen, Li Jianjun
Summary: The study revealed that the microcirculation perfusion is highest in the center of pressure ulcers, and there is a negative correlation between healing time and microcirculation perfusion.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Ravindran Visagan, Florence R. A. Hogg, Mathew J. Gallagher, Siobhan Kearney, Argyro Zoumprouli, Marios C. Papadopoulos, Samira Saadoun
Summary: This study examines the feasibility of monitoring tissue oxygen tension in patients with acute, severe traumatic spinal cord injuries. The results show that tissue oxygen tension is influenced by various factors, including intraspinal pressure, spinal cord perfusion pressure, tissue glucose levels, lactate/pyruvate ratio, and fever. In patients with motor-incomplete injuries, fluctuations in tissue oxygen tension correlate with fluctuations in limb motor score.
CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suneel Kumar, Thomas Theis, Monica Tschang, Vini Nagaraj, Francois Berthiaume
Summary: Traumatic injuries to the nervous system, such as spinal cord injury and brain injury, can result in neurological dysfunction, causing patients to be bed-ridden and immobile for extended periods. Secondary complications like bladder/bowel dysfunction and pressure ulcers can lead to further debilitating conditions.
Article
Dermatology
Georg Brunner, Meike Roux, Volker Boehm, Thomas Meiners
Summary: Patients with spinal cord injury are prone to developing pressure ulcers, as loss of neuronal control affects cellular and molecular homeostasis in the skin, leading to enhanced platelet extravasation and accumulation of transforming growth factor. This inappropriate wound healing process combined with plasma leakage and increased transforming growth factor-like activity potentially increases the risk of pressure ulcer formation.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Perry Dhaliwal, Alwyn Gomez, Frederick Adam Zeiler
Summary: Acute traumatic spinal cord injury is commonly treated with surgical decompression and instrumentation of the spine. However, the evidence for these methods is limited. There is now interest in measuring spinal cord perfusion pressure through monitoring mean arterial pressure and intraspinal pressure. This study successfully used a strain gauge pressure transducer to measure intraspinal pressure and derive spinal cord perfusion pressure.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sharon Eve Sonenblum, Megan Measel, Stephen H. Sprigle, John Greenhalgh, John McKay Cathcart
Summary: The study identified differences in subcutaneous fat characteristics between wheelchair users with and without a history of pressure injuries. It also found that the presence of spasms and fewer years of wheelchair use were associated with leaner muscle. Further investigation into changes in adipose tissue and intramuscular fat infiltration may help understand the etiology of pressure injuries.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Chenhao Yu, Joel Martin Sacris, Yan Gai, Chi Hou Lei
Summary: This study presents a realistic three-dimensional model that accurately captures the deformation and stress distribution of sitting on an air-cell-based cushion. It resolves several shortcomings in previous models and allows for optimization of cushion design and operating conditions.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Nicole M. Vecin, David R. Gater
Summary: This manuscript reviews the risk of pressure injuries caused by spinal cord injury and discusses the multidisciplinary approach required to prevent and treat these injuries in the vulnerable population.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Maayan Lustig, Amit Gefen
Summary: The study aimed to develop a novel computational modeling framework to investigate the biomechanical efficacy of a dressing with a soft cellulose fluff core in protecting proned surgical patients from chest pressure ulcers. Results showed that the dressings dispersed elevated soft-tissue stresses, indicating their effectiveness for pressure ulcer prevention and during surgery.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Nursing
James Canfor, Lucia Michailidis, Cylie Williams
Summary: This study aimed to measure the incidence of suspected deep tissue pressure injuries in hospital-admitted patients, analyze their location, length of stay, and factors associated with their development. The research found that a minority of patients developed suspected deep tissue injuries, mainly on the foot and ankle, with an incidence rate of 0.18 per 1000 patient admissions. Factors such as body weight, lack of off-loading, and number of ward transfers were associated with longer time to develop pressure injuries.
JOURNAL OF WOUND OSTOMY AND CONTINENCE NURSING
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Guilian Chen, Tong Wang, Lirong Zhong, Xinghui He, Chunxia Huang, Yingmin Wang, Kun Li
Summary: Telemedicine is a feasible way to prevent pressure injuries among patients with spinal cord injuries. It can decrease the incidence and severity of pressure injuries and accelerate patients' healing without imposing an economic burden. It is best used in tandem with other, more conventional interventions.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Yufang Chen, Yixin Shen, Kuan Wang, Yan Qi, Wenxin Niu, Yan Wang
Summary: Patients with spinal cord injury are prone to develop deep tissue injury due to long-term mechanical load. This study investigates the influence of tissue characteristics on the internal mechanical state of buttock in these patients and finds that body mass index is the most important factor affecting the risk of deep tissue injury.
BIOMECHANICS AND MODELING IN MECHANOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Yi-Ting Tzen, Patricia T. Champagne, Varsha Rao, Jijia Wang, Wei-Han Tan, Merrine Klakeel, Nitin B. Jain, Dane K. Wukich, Timothy J. Koh
Summary: This study examined the skin blood flow measurements before pressure injury develops in spinal cord injured patients during acute hospitalisation. The results showed that both reactive and heat hyperemia were successfully induced in all participants. Two participants developed pressure injury, while nine did not have pressure injury at discharge. Heat hyperemia was smaller in participants with pressure injury. No difference was observed in reactive hyperemia between the groups. Further examination with a larger group is needed to determine the clinical use of heat hyperemia as a predictor for pressure injury development.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Aleksander Rycman, Stewart D. McLachlin, Duane S. Cronin
Summary: Brain and spinal cord injuries have a significant impact on quality of life, but the traumatic nature of these injuries makes them challenging to assess experimentally. Finite element human body models have been used to study these injuries, but the lack of a realistic spinal cord implementation is a limitation. This study successfully implemented a comprehensive representation of the spinal cord into a contemporary head and neck model, and demonstrated the importance of the spinal cord in assessing brain response during impact.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Aleksei Orlov, Amit Gefen
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of two types of single-use negative-pressure wound therapy systems and found that continuous and consistent negative-pressure delivery through controlled fluid management technology can improve the quality of surgical wound healing.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Maayan Lustig, Amit Gefen
Summary: This study developed a computer modeling framework to quantify how optimal envelopment disperses tissue stress concentrations near the sacrum. Results showed that using a minimum tissue deformation mattress can reduce strains and stresses in subdermal soft tissues, leading to longer safe times for supine support.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Dermatology
Mai Dabas, Dafna Schwartz, Dimitri Beeckman, Amit Gefen
Summary: This study provides an in-depth overview of the methodologies of artificial intelligence (AI) and their potential implementation in wound care and management. The findings highlight the positive impact and prospects of AI in improving healthcare quality and efficiency, as well as the emergence of AI-based remote consultation systems.
ADVANCES IN WOUND CARE
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Aleksei Orlov, Amit Gefen
Summary: There are two design concepts for single-use negative pressure wound therapy systems: canister-based and canisterless. The canister-based technology provides stable delivery of negative pressure, while canisterless systems may result in loss of negative pressure. Research shows that continuous delivery of the intended pressure is necessary for an effective influence zone.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Aleksei Orlov, Amit Gefen
Summary: Prolonged use of positive airway pressure masks can lead to facial tissue breakdown, but this risk can be reduced with suitable cushioning materials. By comparing different dressings through experiments and computational modeling, it was found that foam-based dressings generally outperformed hydrocolloid dressings.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Aleksei Orlov, Amit Gefen
Summary: In this study, we developed a robotic system with two venous leg ulcers to test the fluid handling performance of three wound dressing types. The results indicated that foam-based dressing technology is not effective for managing exuding venous leg ulcers. Additionally, wound dressings containing superabsorbent polymers do not demonstrate equal performance in fluid handling for different wound scenarios.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Dermatology
Breda Cullen, Amit Gefen
Summary: Chronic wounds are a global issue that not only affects patients' health but also imposes a significant burden on society. This review explores the reasons for wound healing failure, the pathophysiology of chronic wounds, and the design and evaluation of dressings. It emphasizes the importance of understanding wound exudates and developing laboratory models for testing dressings. The findings have significant implications for improving dressing effectiveness, enhancing patient outcomes, and reducing the economic burden of chronic wounds.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Amit Gefen, Paulo Alves, Dimitri Beeckman, Jose Luis Lazaro-Martinez, Hadar Lev-Tov, Bijan Najafi, Terry Swanson, Kevin Woo
Summary: The mechanical performance of foam materials in foam-based wound dressings plays a crucial role in the clinical outcomes and cost of care. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and practical considerations related to the mechanical performance of foams in wound dressings, based on published research and clinical experience. This information is important for clinicians, researchers, regulators, and buyers in the wound care field.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Hadar Shaulian, Amit Gefen, Hen Biton, Alon Wolf
Summary: This study investigates a novel graded-stiffness offloading method for diabetic heel ulcers, which can effectively redistribute heel pressure and reduce focal stress concentration areas. The results show that the graded-stiffness offloading solution is more effective in reducing and redistributing peak pressure and pressure dose compared to existing solutions.
Article
Dermatology
Tomer Katz, Amit Gefen
Summary: Support surfaces play a crucial role in preventing pressure ulcers/injuries for at-risk patients. Hybrid support surfaces, combining reactive and active properties, provide pressure redistribution through the use of high-quality foam material inside inflatable air cells. This study uses computational modelling and simulations to investigate the effects of static and dynamic modes of a hybrid support surface on soft tissue loading at the buttocks. Results show that the dynamic mode effectively relieves deep tissue pressure under the sacral bone and generates a deep tissue offloading effect by shifting the loading towards the coccyx.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Charlotte Raepsaet, Paulo Alves, Breda Cullen, Amit Gefen, Jose Luis Lazaro-Martinez, Hadar Lev-Tov, Bijan Najafi, Nick Santamaria, Andrew Sharpe, Terry Swanson, Kevin Woo, Dimitri Beeckman
Summary: The aim of this project was to develop a core outcome set (COS) for clinical effectiveness studies of bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds. The project followed the COMET initiative and consisted of two phases. The outcomes were generated through a systematic review, qualitative study, Delphi consensus study, and consensus meeting.
JOURNAL OF TISSUE VIABILITY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Maayan Lustig, Yoram Epstein, Amit Gefen
Summary: This study developed a novel finite element modeling framework to evaluate and rate the biomechanical efficacy of ballistic protective plates (BPPs) in protecting the torso from non-penetrating impacts acquired on the battlefield.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Aleksei Orlov, Marino Ciliberti, Rosa Somma, Amit Gefen
Summary: In this study, we compared the fluid handling performance of different wound care products using advanced robotic technology. The single-use negative pressure wound therapy system emerged as the leading treatment option, while the foam dressing exhibited the poorest fluid handling performance.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Mai Dabas, Ida Kreychman, Tomer Katz, Amit Gefen
Summary: We investigated the reactions of healthy sacral skin to sustained mechanical loading by measuring inflammatory and thermal responses. Infrared thermography outperformed digital photography in detecting skin irritation trends. Polymeric membrane dressings were more effective in reducing inflammation and managing microclimate compared to polyurethane foam. Infrared thermography is a feasible method for monitoring skin health and risk for pressure ulcers.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Suzanne Kapp, Marie Gerdtz, Charne Miller, Amit Gefen, William Padula, Lauren Wilson, Michael Woodward, Nick Santamaria
Summary: Pressure injuries are common in aged care facilities and have a significant impact on healthcare systems. Remote expert wound nurse consultation shows potential in improving pressure injury outcomes, but more research is needed to determine its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in residential aged care. This study describes a pilot randomized controlled trial investigating the intervention, with outcomes including wound healing rate, infection, quality of life, and cost of treatment. The results will inform future trials evaluating the clinical and economic benefits of remote expert wound nurse consultation in this setting.
INTERNATIONAL WOUND JOURNAL
(2023)