Strategic treatment of pressure ulcer using sub-epidermal moisture values

Abstract

A method of identifying a patent in need of pressure ulcer treatment, the method comprising: (a) evaluating a patent for a risk of pressure ulcer upon admission to a care facility, the evaluating comprising: (i) making a first plurality of Sub-Epidermal Moisture (SEM) measurements in the patient, and (ii) making a second plurality of SEM measurements in the patient at a first pre-determined frequency corresponding to the administered intervention level, (b) calculating a first delta value from a portion of the first plurality of SEM measurements, and (c) calculating a second delta value from a portion of the second plurality of SEM measurements. Th method further comprises (d) determining whether the first delta value exceeds a first threshold, (e) determining whether the second delta value exceeds a second threshold, identifying a first intervention of level-N if the first delta value exceeds the first threshold, and continuing to identify the first intervention if the second delta value does not exceed the second threshold, wherein N is an integer and N has a value of 1 or greater, (f) continuing to make a plurality of SEM measurements at the first pre-determined frequency if the second delta value does not exceed the second threshold, (g) identifying a second intervention of level-M if the second delta value exceeds the second threshold, where M is an integer and M is greater than N, and (h) making a plurality of SEM measurements at a second pre-determined frequency corresponding to level-M if the second delta value exceeds the second threshold.

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