TABLE 4.
Summary of skin changes on both heels and sacrum immediately after loading and/or dressing removal
| Intervention at heels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading | Yes | No | Yes |
| Dressing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Skin surface temperature | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
| SCH | ↑ | ↑ | ↑↑ |
| Epidermal hydration | ↑ | ↑↑ | ↑↑ |
| TEWL | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
| Erythema index | ↑ | ↑ | ↑↑ |
| Clinical signs of erythema | ↑↑ | ↑ | ↑↑ |
| Structural stiffness (Uf) | ↑ (?) | ↑↑ | ↑ |
| Biological elasticity (Ua/Uf) | ↑ (?) | ↑ | ↑ (?) |
| Roughness (Rz) | ↓ | ↓↓ | ↓↓ |
| Stratum corneum thickness | ↑ | → | ↑ |
| Epidermal thickness | ↑ | → | ↑ |
| IL‐1 alpha | ↑↑ | → | ↑ |
| Self‐reported pain | One subject | None | None |
| Intervention at the sacrum | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin surface temperature | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
| SCH | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
| Epidermal hydration | ↑↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
| TEWL | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
| Erythema index | ↑ | → | ↑ |
| Clinical signs of erythema | ↑↑ L | → | ↑ |
| Structural stiffness (Uf) | ↑ | ↓ | ↑ |
| Biological elasticity (Ua/Uf) | → | → | → |
| Roughness (Rz) | ↓ | ↓ | → |
| Epidermal thickness | ↑ (?) | → | → |
| IL‐1 alpha | ↑ | → | → |
| Self‐reported pain | One subject | None | None |
Abbreviations: SCH, stratum corneum hydration; TEWL, transepidermal water loss.