Examining Factors That Contribute to Delayed Wound Healing in Children with Tracheostomy Wounds

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Wound Healing
• Clinical Outcomes Research
• Biomarkers in Wound Care

Background:

• Tracheostomy-related wounds in pediatric patients present unique challenges for healing.
• Understanding factors influencing healing time is crucial for optimizing patient care and outcomes.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the specific variables affecting pediatric tracheostomy wound healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify clinical variables associated with delayed wound healing in pediatric patients with tracheostomy wounds.
• To investigate the correlation between albumin levels, Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) scores, and pressure injury stage with healing time.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 95 pediatric patients (birth to 18 years) with tracheostomy wounds at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
• Analysis included Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) scores, pressure injury staging, and serum albumin levels.
• Primary outcome measure was time in days to wound closure.

Main Results:

• A moderate positive correlation was observed between albumin levels and days to healing (r = 0.432, P = .045), with higher albumin associated with shorter healing times.
• Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) scores and pressure injury stage significantly explained 14.1% of the variance in healing time (P < .001).
• These factors collectively indicate a multifactorial influence on pediatric tracheostomy wound healing.

Conclusions:

• Wound healing in pediatric tracheostomy patients is influenced by multiple factors, including albumin levels, pressure injury stage, and PUSH scores.
• Albumin levels, pressure injury stage, and PUSH scores are positively correlated with healing times.
• Further investigation into factors like race is warranted to improve predictive models for pediatric wound healing.