The effect of repositioning frequency on tissue oxygenation in preventing of pressure ulcers

This study was planned to examine the effect of repositioning frequency on tissue oxygen saturation. The population of the study planned as semi-experimental consisted of the hospitalized patients to the intensive care units of Anesthesia and Reanimation and Neurosurgery clinics between the dates of 25.10.2014–25.03.2015. There was no sample selection method used in the study, the sample of the study comprised all the patients who meet research criteria and gave consent. A total of 46 patients over the age of 18, who had a body mass index <30, immobile, whose blood oxygen saturation was 90% and over, blood pressure was over 90/60 mmHg, any capillary damage was not present on sacral area after skin tolerance test, without edema on sacral area, position can be changed, not taking steroids, vasopressors and cytotoxic drug were included in the study. Tissue oxygen saturation on sacral area was measured by using Inspectra Tissue Oxygen Monitor. The baseline measurement was made on sacral area after being rested for 30 minutes and the patient was placed in 30° supine position. After that, tissue oxygen saturations were measured on the sacral area within the first, second, third and fourth hours. In order to conduct the study, written consent was taken from Clinical Research Ethical Committee in Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Anesthesia and Reanimation and Neurosurgery clinics and the patients who approved the study. The mean age of the patients was 55.10±21.66 years, 22 were women, 24 were men. Of the patients, 45.7% were lying on air bed, 54.3% were on viscoelastic bed. The mean tissue oxygen saturation of patients was determined as %73.4 initially, %74.9 in one hour later, %71.8 three hours later and again %71.8 four hours later. There was no statistical difference between sacral tissue oxygen saturations measured in the baseline, first, second, third and fourth hours. At the end of the study, it can be recommended that the positions of the patients who are lying on air bed or viscoelastic bed can be changed every four hours. However, the study needs further investigation on larger sample to generalize results.