A risk model for the prediction of skin tears in aged care residents: A prospective cohort study

© 2018 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd The objective of this study was to construct a predictive model to identify aged care residents at risk of future skin tears. Extensive data about individual characteristics, skin characteristics, and skin properties were gathered from 173 participants at baseline and at 6 months. A predictive model, developed using multivariable logistic regression, identified five variables that significantly predicted the risk of skin tear at 6 months. These included: a history of skin tears in the previous 12 months (OR 3.82 [1.64-8.90], P = 0.002), purpura =20 mm in size (OR 3.64 [1.42-9.35], P = 0.007), a history of falls in the previous 3 months (OR 3.37 [1.54-7.41], P = 0.002), clinical manifestations of elastosis (OR 3.19 [1.38-7.38], P = 0.007), and male gender (OR 3.08 [1.22-7.77], P = 0.017). The predictive model yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.854 with an 81.7% sensitivity and an 81.4% specificity. This predictive model could inform a simple but promising bedside tool for identifying older individuals at risk of skin tears

A review of patient and skin characteristics associated with skin tears

Objective: Skin tears are the most common wound among the elderly and have the potential to cause infection, form chronic wounds, reduce quality of life and increase health-care costs. Our aim was to identify studies that reviewed patient and skin characteristics associated with skin tears. Method: A review of skin tear studies reported in the English literature between 1980 and 2013 was undertaken using the following electronic databases: PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Evidence Based and Medicine Reviews (EBM). Search terms included aged, skin, tears or lacerations, skin tearing, geri tear, epidermal tear and prevalence. Results: There were 343 articles found with using the search terms. After abstract review nine were found to be relevant to the search. The principle findings from these eight published articles and one unpublished study revealed that the most common patient characteristics were a history of skin tears, impaired mobility and impaired cognition. Skin characteristics associated with skin tears included senile purpura, ecchymosis and oedema. Conclusion: This review provides an overview of identified patient and skin characteristics that predispose the elderly to skin tears and exposes the lack of research within this domain. Declaration of interest: R. Rayner is a recipient of a 2013 Australian Postgraduate Award, Curtin University Postgraduate Scholarship and a Wound Management Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) PhD stipend. The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University and the Silver Chain Group, Western Australia are participants in the Wound Management Innovation CRC. No conflict of interest exists among the authors