Safety and Feasibility of Intermittent Electrical Stimulation for the Prevention of Deep Tissue Injury

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of a novel treatment, intermittent electrical stimulation (IES), for preventing deep tissue injury (DTI) in different healthcare settings.

Approach:

Testing was conducted in an acute rehabilitation unit of a general hospital, a tertiary rehabilitation hospital, a long-term care facility, and homecare (HC). IES was delivered through surface electrodes placed either directly on the gluteal muscles or through mesh panels inside a specialized garment. Study participants at risk for DTI used the system for an average of 4 weeks. Outcome measures included skin reaction to long-term stimulation, demands on the caregiver, stability of induced muscle contraction, and acceptability as part of the users' daily routine.

Results:

A total of 48 study participants used the IES system. The system proved to be safe and feasible in all four clinical settings. No pressure ulcers were observed in any of the participants. There was no difference between the clinical settings in patient positioning, ease of finding optimal stimulation site, and patient acceptance. Although donning and doffing time was longer in the long-term care and HC settings than the acute rehabilitation unit and tertiary rehabilitation facility, time required to apply the IES system was <18 min (including data collection). The patients and caregivers did not find the application disruptive and indicated that the stimulation was acceptable as part of their daily routine in over 97% of the time.

Innovation and Conclusion:

We demonstrated the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of a novel method of IES to prevent DTI in a continuum of healthcare settings.