"Not Just Sheets...Therapeutic Linen--The Impact of Synthetic Silk-Like Fabric on Pressure Ulcers"

Topic Significant to WOCN:  Despite a plethora of evidence pertaining to pressure ulcers, little attention has been paid to the role that textiles play in the formation and prevention of pressure ulcers (PrUs).  Factors such as moisture, friction and shear may be mitigated by products most intimate to the patient: linen.

Purpose: A synthetic fabric was developed for the purpose of providing bedding and patient gowns that manage moisture, friction and shear. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of this intervention.

Methodology:  A retrospective, non-randomized, before-and-after comparative study was conducted from December 2010 to May 2011 with 12-week periods for each group. Data collected using conventional hospital bed linens, underpads and patient gowns (“Control”) were analyzed, followed by an analysis using the same items made with synthetic fabrics (“Intervention”).

Statistics: The average weight, age and gender of study patients were consistent throughout the study. Common comorbidities were hypertension, pulmonary problems, diabetes, neoplasm, and atherosclerosis. The Control (n=659) and Intervention (n=768) groups both demonstrated risk for PrU development with average total Braden scores of 17.3 and 17.1 and average albumin levels of 3.02 and 3.03 g/dL, respectively. Average length of stay was 5.6 days and 5.2 days in the Control and Intervention groups, respectively (P = .08).

Results: In this study involving 1427 patients, the incidence of patients with HAPUs at all stages was 10.3% for the Control group compared to 2.5% for the Intervention group  (p=<0.001).  

Conclusion: Statistically significant differences in the rate of PrU development between the study groups suggest that the type of linens used may reduce the incidence of HAPUs in at-risk patients. Improvement in the healing of PrUs that were present on admission (POA) and a decrease in patient length of stay (LOS) were also found, the former being statistically significant.