Incidence of skin tears in the extremities among elderly patients at a long‐term medical facility in Japan: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Patients with pre-existing skin tears and a low score of the Braden Scale have a higher risk of skin tear development during 3 months. These factors could be used to identify patients requiring prevention care for skin tears.

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

“…This result is similar to findings from a point‐prevalence survey of skin tears conducted in a long‐term care facility in Canada on 113 residents . Two other studies, undertaken using long‐term elderly Japanese residents, did not identify any significant difference between gender and the occurrence of skin tears . In male participants with skin tears, the majority of injuries occurred on the dorsal forearms, particularly the right arm.…”

“…They are commonly defined as “a traumatic wound occurring principally on the extremities of older adults, as a result of friction alone or shearing and friction forces which separate the epidermis from the dermis (partial‐thickness wound) or which separates both the epidermis and the dermis from underlying structures (full‐thickness wound)” . Published epidemiological data on the prevalence and incidence of skin tears in aged care facilities indicate that they occur in 41% to 59% of Australian, 14% to 22% of North American, and 4% to 14% of Japanese residents . Regardless of the geographical location of published studies, skin tears principally occur on the upper extremities, followed by the lower extremities, of older individuals …”

“…A recent review of the literature identifying individual attributes or clinical characteristics that predicted the risk of skin tears in older adults found that the vast majority of articles were based on lower levels of scientific evidence including expert opinion, case series, and observational studies . Three studies that used advanced statistical modelling to predict the risk of tears were identified . The first study by Lewin et al used multivariate regression analyses of data obtained from a non‐matched case–control study that was conducted in a Western Australian tertiary hospital on participants aged over 50 years .…”

“…The revised model reported that senile purpura, haematoma, previously healed skin tears, advanced age, and the ability to reposition independently were better predictors of skin tears . The third study by Sanada et al in 2015 used multiple logistic analyses of data collected from a 3‐month prospective cohort study conducted in Japan and identified that a history of skin tears and a decreased Braden Scale score were significant predictors of skin tears . The analysis was based on a small number ( n = 14) of skin tears that developed during the study period.…”

Prevalence of skin tears in the extremities in inpatients at a hospital in Denmark

“…Several studies describe differences between populations with and without skin tears. Only one study has described factors associated with the development of skin tears by multivariate analysis, identifying previous skin tears and a 6‐point decrease in the total score on the Braden scale as causal factors . We showed three predisposing factors: previous skin tear, ecchymosis and risk of falling, to be associated with the development of skin tears.…”