Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Energy in Older Adults: A Pilot Clinical Trial

• Published in: Advances in skin & wound care Vol. 31; no. 10; pp. 462 - 469
• Main Authors: García-Pérez, Sara, García-Ríos, Ma Carmen, Pérez-Mármol, José Manuel, Tapia-Haro, Rosa María, Albornoz-Cabello, Manuel, Valenza, Marie Carmen, Aguilar-Ferrándiz, María Encarnación
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved 01-10-2018; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Clinical trials; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Humans; Male; Nursing; Nursing homes; Older people; Pain management; Pilot Projects; Pressure Ulcer - diagnosis; Pressure Ulcer - therapy; Pressure ulcers; Reference Values; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Factors; Spain; Statistics, Nonparametric; Time Factors; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation - methods; Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation-TENS; Wound healing; Wound Healing - physiology; Spain
• ISSN: 1527-7941; 1538-8654
• DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000544614.18501.b4

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effectiveness of a transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) device typically used for pain suppression (analgesia) during pressure injury (PI) healing, peripheral vascularization, and secondary pain in older adults with chronic PIs and cognitive impairment.
DESIGN AND SETTING:This pilot clinical trial followed patients from 6 nursing homes.
PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION:Twenty-two patients with PIs in the distal third of their lower limbs (7 men, 15 women) were included in this study. The control group completed standard wound care (SWC), whereas the experimental group received SWC and TENS. A total of 20 sessions were conducted for each group over 2 months, 3 times a week.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:PI area, PI healing rate, blood flow, skin temperature, oxygen saturation, and level of pain at baseline and posttreatment.
MAIN RESULTS:Significant improvements were achieved in PI area (mean difference, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15–1.67; P =.024), healing rate (3; 95% CI, 1–4.99; P =.009), skin temperature (1.82; 95% CI, 0.35–3.28; P =.021), and pain (1.44; 95% CI, 0.49–2.39; P =.008) in the experimental group, whereas none of the variables revealed a significant change in the control group.
CONCLUSIONS:The effect of local and spinal TENS combined with the SWC for PI produced a significant improvement in size, healing, skin temperature, and pain levels.