State-of-the-Art Review: What It Means for Pressure Injury Prevention
Read the article from Advances in Skin and Wound Care
A hospital acquired pressure injury rarely appears out of nowhere. Long before the skin opens, subtle physiologic changes—temperature change, swelling, reduced oxygenation—signal that tissue is under strain. For decades, clinicians relied on visual exams and touch to identify these changes. But what if the surface looks normal while deeper layers are beginning to fail?
A new state-of-the-art review in Advances in Skin & Wound Care explores the latest medical technologies designed to reveal these early warning signs beneath intact skin. The authors describe a future where data-driven imaging augments standard nursing assessment, offering a fuller picture of tissue health, risk, and recovery.
Why This Matters in Real-World Care
Visual inspection remains the cornerstone of skin assessment, but it can fall short—particularly in patients with darker skin tones, where redness and blanching may be hard to see. Objective tools help bridge that gap, supporting health equity by revealing changes invisible to the human eye.
The review emphasizes how integrating these devices into admission workflows could help hospitals better avoid hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) and document conditions that are present on admission (POA) versus those acquired during hospitalization—a crucial distinction for quality reporting and reimbursement.
Where WoundVision Fits
For healthcare teams looking to bring this science into practice, WoundVision’s Scout® is built on the same principles outlined in the review.
It uses long-wave infrared thermography to visualize temperature changes.
It integrates seamlessly with EMRs for on-admission imaging and POA documentation.
And it supports equitable care by working across all skin tones.
By translating research into practice, WoundVision bridges the gap to help hospitals avoid a hospital-acquired pressure injury.
Healthcare professionals interested in learning more can contact WoundVision at sales@woundvision.com.