Tissue electrical properties monitoring for the prevention of pressure sore

Background: Pressure sores are a significant problem in the healthcare sector. Although they may cause considerable morbidity, they are preventable.Objectives: The objectives of this study are to (1) investigate the electrical properties of a tissue close to and away from the pressure sore site, and (2) establish a new approach for objective, reliable, low-cost and noninvasive screening or detection of pressure sore in its early stage.Study Design: Randomised controlled trial.Methods: Fifteen patients participated in this study. They all had stage I or stage II sacral pressure sores. Tiny surface electrodes in four-electrode configuration were used for all tissue electrical properties measurements recorded over the frequency range of 30–10 MHz.Results: Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) showed that all measurements (ICC > 0.90 for all measurements) had good reliability and validity. The real part of impedance (R) and the imaginary part of impedance (X) of a tissue measured close to the pressure sore...