Effects of a normothermic dressing on pressure ulcer healing

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.