State-of-the-Art Review of Current Technology in Pressure Injury Early Detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Technology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Pressure injuries (PIs) represent a significant healthcare challenge.
• Early detection of PIs is crucial for effective prevention and treatment.
• Current standard assessments rely on visual inspection and palpation, which may have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review available devices for early pressure injury detection.
• To summarize challenges and opportunities for clinical implementation of these devices.
• To propose evaluation standards for different device categories.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of PubMed and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) databases.
• Inclusion of English, peer-reviewed, full-text articles.
• Exclusion of opinion statements, non-empirical data, or unrelated studies.
• Data extraction included measurement mechanisms, output, FDA classification, and clinical use data.

Main Results:

• Four clinical devices identified: ultrasound, infrared thermography, subepidermal moisture assessment, and near-infrared spectroscopy.
• Three research devices identified: laser Doppler flowmetry, laser speckle contrast imaging, and colorimetry.
• Devices measure non-visual signs of PI like inflammation, edema, ischemia, and hypoxia (except colorimetry).

Conclusions:

• Clinical devices show potential for early PI identification, especially in individuals with dark skin tones.
• No reimbursement is currently available for PI early detection technologies.
• Validated devices should augment, not replace, standard visual and palpation assessments for high-risk patients.