Oxygen Saturation or Tissue Oxygen Determinations on Skin Whose Viability is at Risk

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Wound Care
• Diabetic Complications

Background:

• Diabetic foot (DF) complications, including ischaemia, neuropathy, and infection, lead to lower extremity wounds.
• Peripheral arterial disease frequently co-exists with DF, increasing wound prevalence and management costs globally.
• Assessing skin tissue viability is critical for limb and digit salvage in DF management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review measurement techniques for assessing skin tissue viability in lower extremity wounds.
• To examine the merits of various techniques used to evaluate tissue oxygen, oxygen saturation, and skin imaging.
• To discuss advances in wound management systems that restore or maintain tissue perfusion.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on tissue viability assessment techniques for diabetic foot wounds.
• Examination of methods measuring tissue oxygen, oxygen saturation, and skin imaging.
• Discussion of advancements in vascular surgery and wound management protocols.

Main Results:

• Skin perfusion pressure, with a threshold of 30 mm Hg, is a key indicator for healing potential in ischaemic skin.
• Recent vascular interventions aim to revascularize limbs, but distal wounds may remain unhealed, necessitating viability assessment.
• Various measurement techniques provide insights into tissue oxygenation and perfusion for wound management.

Conclusions:

• Accurate assessment of tissue viability is essential for managing diabetic foot wounds and preventing amputations.
• Advances in technology and surgical techniques offer improved strategies for limb salvage.
• Optimizing tissue perfusion through advanced wound management systems is crucial for promoting healing in lower extremity wounds.