AID TO IDENTIFY AND CATEGORIZE ERYTHEMA IN DARK SKIN

全国压疮患病率调查发现，深色皮肤的医院患者中严重压疮的比例高于白种人。国家压疮咨询小组已确定早期发现红斑的人与深色皮肤色素是一个主要的临床问题。我们建议开发工具，以协助护理人员识别红斑在深色素皮肤，并更好地分类它的人与所有类型的皮肤色素沉着。在第一阶段的研究中，我们将开发和测试一种简单而廉价的设备，形状类似于脂肪顶针，可以戴在戴手套或不戴手套的手指上，以指示红斑的程度和它下面皮肤的“漂白性”，与皮肤色素沉着无关。在第二阶段，我们将完善这个基本系统的人机界面和可制造性，并评估其在各种医疗保健环境中的效用。我们还将开发和测试一种更复杂的手持式仪器，以定量区分目前无法区分的几种程度的可漂白性和非漂白性红斑。我们将进行试验，以确定这些附加的皮肤评估功能是否有临床效用。这项技术特别适用于我们老龄化的少数民族人口的需求。建议的商业应用：该仪器将确认或否认l期压性溃疡的诊断为深色皮肤的人。目前，由于对这类i期溃疡的认识不足，导致少数皮肤黝黑的患者出现全皮厚压疮的发生率很高。我们易于使用的顶针形红斑检测仪将通过降低目前西班牙裔和非裔美国人晚期压疮的高发病率，为医院和养老院节省资金。

National pressure ulcer prevalence surveys have found a higher proportion of severe pressure ulcers among dark skinned hospital patients than among Caucasians. The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel has identified early detection of erythema in people with darkly pigmented skin to be a major clinical problem. We propose developing tools to assist nursing personnel in identifying erythema in darkly pigmented skin and better categorize it in people with all types of skin pigmentation. During phase l research we will develop and test a simple and inexpensive device, similar in shape to a fat thimble, that can be worn on a gloved or ungloved finger to indicate the degree of erythema and the "blanchability" of skin beneath it, independent of skin pigmentation. In phase 2, we will refine the human interface and manufacturability of this basic system and evaluate its utility in a variety of health care settings. We will also develop and test a more sophisticated hand held instrument to quantitatively differentiate between several degrees of blanchable and non-blanchable erythema that cannot currently be distinguished. We will conduct trials to determine if there is clinical utility for these additional skin assessment functions. This technology is especially applicable to the needs of our aging minority populations. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This instrument will confirm or deny a diagnosis of stage l pressure ulcer for people with darkly pigmented skin. Currently, failure to recognize such stage l ulcers leads to the high incidence of full skin thickness pressure ulcers in minority patients with dark skin. Our easy to use, thimble shaped erythema detector will save hospitals and nursing homes money by reducing the currently high incidence of advanced pressure ulcers in Hispanics and African Americans.