Effects of a normothermic dressing on pressure ulcer healing

Adv Skin Wound Care. 2000 Mar-Apr;13(2):69-74.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effects of radiant heat applied through a semiocclusive dressing on periwound skin temperature and wound healing.

Design: Before-after trial.

Setting: Spinal cord injury and geriatric units of a VA medical center.

Patients: Twenty inpatients with 21 Stage III and IV pressure ulcers.

Interventions: A semiocclusive, heated dressing was applied to 15 Stage III and IV pressure ulcers for 4.5 hours, Monday through Friday, for 4 consecutive weeks. The dressing emitted heat at 38.0 degrees C for 2 60-minute periods daily. At all other times, the wounds received only standard wound care. Six wounds in a separate control group received only standard wound care during the same 4-week period.

Main outcome measures: Periwound skin temperature within and adjacent to the dressing and measurements of wound surface area.

Main results: Mean skin temperatures inside and outside the heated dressing increased by 0.97 degree C and 1.08 degrees C (P < .05), respectively, from baseline values. Wounds treated with standard care plus the heated dressing underwent a statistically significant reduction in mean surface area of 60.73%. Wounds in the control group underwent a statistically insignificant reduction in mean surface area of 19.24%.

Conclusion: Wounds treated with a radiant heat dressing healed significantly faster than wounds that received only standard care. There were no adverse effects from the radiant heat dressing.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Chronic Disease
  • Clinical Nursing Research
  • Hot Temperature / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Occlusive Dressings*
  • Pressure Ulcer / classification
  • Pressure Ulcer / etiology
  • Pressure Ulcer / nursing*
  • Pressure Ulcer / physiopathology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Skin Temperature
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wound Healing*