A Prospective, Single‐Center Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of ClimateCare in the Acute Postoperative Management of Pressure Ulcers

TL;DR

A study found that using ClimateCare with a special mattress system significantly reduced post-surgery complications and open wounds in patients with severe pressure ulcers.

Contribution

This paper provides empirical evidence that ClimateCare, when used with the FIS system, significantly reduces postoperative complications in pressure ulcer patients.

Findings

ClimateCare reduced complications to 17% compared to 71% in the control group.

No patients in the ClimateCare group had open wounds, compared to 33% in the control group.

Abstract

Pressure ulcers (PU) are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue that can have significant morbidity with the presence of complications such as dehiscence and necrosis. ClimateCare is a mattress coverlet system that aims to maintain optimal skin moisture, temperature, and humidity levels at the interface between the patient and the surface to mitigate pressure ulcer risk factors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of ClimateCare in improving wound outcomes and minimizing complications of pressure ulcers.

Patients with a stage III/IV pressure ulcer admitted for surgical closure were included in the randomized‐controlled trial. All patients received the Fluid Immersion Simulation (FIS) System, either with or without the ClimateCare treatment based on a convenience sampling method. The subjects were monitored for 14 days post‐closure (POD‐14) for assessment of wound status and complications, including moisture, maceration, drainage, dehiscence, epidermolysis, necrosis, and demarcation.

A total of 32 patients completed the study, where 18 patients received the ClimateCare treatment and 14 patients did not. In the control group, 71% of patients had complications while 17% had complications in the ClimateCare group (p = 0.001). In addition, 33% of patients without the ClimateCare had open wounds, while no patients who received ClimateCare treatment had open wounds (p = 0.01). Patient acceptability regarding treatment comfort, difficulty with mobilization, and pain at surgical site were not significantly different between ClimateCare and control groups.

Our findings suggest that the ClimateCare treatment in conjunction with the FIS may be effective in decreasing risk of postoperative complications and emphasize the importance of moisture control and pressure offloading in patients. Future studies should be conducted to characterize the effects of ClimateCare in minimizing the risk of complications following wound closure.

Pressure ulcers can have significant morbidity with the presence of complications such as dehiscence and necrosis.The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the ClimateCare mattress coverlet system in minimizing complications of pressure ulcers, which aims to maintain optimal skin moisture, temperature, and humidity.Complications in the ClimateCare group were significantly decreased at 17% compared with the control group at 71%.Wound status was also significantly better at 0% open wounds in the ClimateCare group, compared to 33% in the control.

Pressure ulcers can have significant morbidity with the presence of complications such as dehiscence and necrosis.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the ClimateCare mattress coverlet system in minimizing complications of pressure ulcers, which aims to maintain optimal skin moisture, temperature, and humidity.

Complications in the ClimateCare group were significantly decreased at 17% compared with the control group at 71%.

Wound status was also significantly better at 0% open wounds in the ClimateCare group, compared to 33% in the control.

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