Early Detection of Pressure Ulcer Development Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Using Inflammatory Mediators

Abstract Objective To identify changes in concentrations of inflammatory mediators in plasma and urine after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and before the occurrence of a first pressure ulcer. Design Retrospective; secondary analysis of existing data. Setting Acute hospitalization and inpatient rehabilitation sites at a university medical center. Participants Individuals with a pressure ulcer and plasma samples (n=17) and individuals with a pressure ulcer and urine samples (n=15) were matched by age and plasma/urine sample days to individuals with SCI and no pressure ulcer (N=35). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Plasma and urine samples were assayed in patients with SCI, capturing samples within 4 days after the SCI to a week before the formation of the first pressure ulcer. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to identify changes in the inflammatory mediators between the 2 time points. Results An increase in concentration of the chemokine interferon-γ–induced protein of 10kd/CXCL10 in plasma ( P