Deep tissue injury : a narrative review on the aetiology of a controversial wound

Wynn, MO

Abstract

Deep tissue injuries (DTIs) were added to pressure ulcer grading systems in 2009. Since then, they have been associated with the same aetiological processes as other forms of pressure injury (PI). This is despite notable clinical differences in their presentation along with variations in natural history that suggest they are the consequence of processes distinct from those that cause other PIs. Understanding the aetiology of DTIs is essential to guide prevention and treatment in addition to ensuring healthcare governance processes deeply tied to pressure injury are effective and efficient. Current understanding of the aetiology of DTI has significant gaps, with several key challenges impeding progress in this area of PI research, including inconsistent reporting by healthcare services and the limitations of animal and computer models in addition to the ethical barriers to conducting studies on human subjects. Synthesis of early studies with studies undertaken before 2009 is also limited by the variety in definitions of DTI used before that published by the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel and the Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance in 2009. To date, few prospective clinical studies have been conducted. This article presents a narrative review on the clinical and animal study evidence indicating contemporary understanding of DTI.

Citation

Wynn, M. (2021). Deep tissue injury : a narrative review on the aetiology of a controversial wound. British Journal of Nursing, 30(5), S32-S37. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.5.s32

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 18, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 11, 2021
• Deposit Date: Mar 30, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 18, 2021
• Journal: British Journal of Nursing
• Print ISSN: 0966-0461
• Electronic ISSN: 2052-2819
• Publisher: MA Healthcare
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 5
• Pages: S32-S37
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.5.s32
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.5.S32
• Related Public URLs: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/loi/bjon
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications Router **Journal IDs: pissn 0966-0461; eissn 2052-2819 **History: issued 11-03-2021; published 11-03-2021; Access Information : This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in British Journal of Nursing, copyright © MA Healthcare, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.5.S32.