Garg Stuti P, Bajaj Anitesh, Shah Krish V, Hanna Emmanuelle, Putnam Geneviève L, Bai Iris, Griffin Diana, Galiano Robert D
Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago Illinois USA.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland Ohio USA.
Health Sci Rep. 2025 Jun 23;8(6):e70846. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70846. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Pressure ulcers (PU) are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue that can have significant morbidity with the presence of complications such as dehiscence and necrosis. ClimateCare is a mattress coverlet system that aims to maintain optimal skin moisture, temperature, and humidity levels at the interface between the patient and the surface to mitigate pressure ulcer risk factors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of ClimateCare in improving wound outcomes and minimizing complications of pressure ulcers.
Patients with a stage III/IV pressure ulcer admitted for surgical closure were included in the randomized-controlled trial. All patients received the Fluid Immersion Simulation (FIS) System, either with or without the ClimateCare treatment based on a convenience sampling method. The subjects were monitored for 14 days post-closure (POD-14) for assessment of wound status and complications, including moisture, maceration, drainage, dehiscence, epidermolysis, necrosis, and demarcation.
A total of 32 patients completed the study, where 18 patients received the ClimateCare treatment and 14 patients did not. In the control group, 71% of patients had complications while 17% had complications in the ClimateCare group ( = 0.001). In addition, 33% of patients without the ClimateCare had open wounds, while no patients who received ClimateCare treatment had open wounds ( = 0.01). Patient acceptability regarding treatment comfort, difficulty with mobilization, and pain at surgical site were not significantly different between ClimateCare and control groups.
Our findings suggest that the ClimateCare treatment in conjunction with the FIS may be effective in decreasing risk of postoperative complications and emphasize the importance of moisture control and pressure offloading in patients. Future studies should be conducted to characterize the effects of ClimateCare in minimizing the risk of complications following wound closure.
压疮（PU）是皮肤及皮下组织的损伤，若出现诸如裂开和坏死等并发症，会导致严重的发病情况。ClimateCare是一种床垫罩系统，旨在维持患者与表面之间界面处的最佳皮肤水分、温度和湿度水平，以减轻压疮风险因素。本研究的目的是评估ClimateCare在改善伤口愈合结果及将压疮并发症降至最低方面的有效性。
纳入因手术闭合而入院的III/IV期压疮患者进行随机对照试验。所有患者均接受液体浸没模拟（FIS）系统，根据便利抽样方法，部分患者接受或不接受ClimateCare治疗。在闭合后14天（术后第14天）对受试者进行监测，以评估伤口状况和并发症，包括水分、浸渍、引流、裂开、表皮松解、坏死和分界。
共有32名患者完成研究，其中18名患者接受了ClimateCare治疗，14名患者未接受。在对照组中，71%的患者出现并发症，而在ClimateCare组中这一比例为17%（P = 0.001）。此外，未接受ClimateCare治疗的患者中有33%存在开放性伤口，而接受ClimateCare治疗的患者中没有开放性伤口（P = 0.01）。ClimateCare组和对照组在治疗舒适度、活动困难程度及手术部位疼痛方面的患者可接受性无显著差异。
我们的研究结果表明，ClimateCare治疗与FIS联合使用可能有效降低术后并发症风险，并强调了患者水分控制和减压的重要性。未来应开展研究，以明确ClimateCare在降低伤口闭合后并发症风险方面的作用。
