Strategic treatment of pressure ulcer using sub-epidermal moisture values

Abstract

A method of assessing a patient, comprising: performing an initial capacitance scan of a body location selected for monitoring, converting capacitance measurements from said initial capacitance scan into sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) values, and assigning the patient to a risk category selected from a group comprising a plurality of risk categories. The assigning is based partially on the initial capacitance scan. The method also comprises calculating an initial delta value for the body location from the SEM values, determining that there is possible damage at the body location if the initial delta value is greater than a first threshold, performing a subsequent capacitance scan of the body location at a first time interval when the initial delta value is greater than the first threshold, performing a subsequent capacitance scan of the body location at a second time interval when the initial delta value is less than the first threshold, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval, and calculating a subsequent delta value for each of the subsequent capacitance scans.

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