Effect of interface pressure and skin surface temperature on pressure injury incidence: a turning schedule pilot study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the interface pressure and skin surface temperature in relation to the incidence of pressure injury (PI) using three different turning schedules.
Method: This was a pilot study with a three-armed randomised clinical trial design. Participants at risk of PI and treated in the high dependency care unit in a regional hospital in Makassar, Indonesia participated in this study. Patients were repositioned at three different turning schedules (two-, three- and four-hourly intervals). Interface pressure measurement and skin surface temperature were measured between 14:00 and 18:00 every three days. The incidence of PI was assessed during the two-week observation period.
Results: A total of 44 participants took part in the study. A one-way ANOVA test revealed no difference in interface pressure among the three different turning schedule groups within two weeks of
observations: day zero, p=0.56; day four, p=0.95; day seven, p=0.56; day 10, p=0.63; and day 14, p=0.92. Although the average periumbilical temperature and skin surface temperature were not significant (p>0.05), comparison between these observation sites was significant on all observation days (p