Description
Contemporary evidence suggests that pressure injuries are not solely the consequence of prolonged ischemia but are also caused by soft tissue deformation independent of ischemia. Clinical practice guidelines must progress as additional sources of tissue damage are identified. As tissue injury can occur from deformation without or prior to the onset of ischemic damage, preventive measures need to consider situations where there is high-loading for shorter periods of time. Practice guidelines should not exclude the possibility of damage that could be caused by bouts of high-loading for a short period of time.
Learning Outcomes:
1. The participant will be able to describe the etiology of ischemic-induced tissue injury
2. The participant will be able to describe the etiology of deformation-induce tissue injury
3. The participant will be able to recognize a person’s circumstances that increase risk of pressure injuries
Dr. Brienza is Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with additional professorial appointment in the Dept. of Bioengineering and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. His research over the past 30 years has been primarily focused on tissue integrity management. Dr. Brienza directs the Tissue Integrity Management Lab at Pitt which is dedicated to pressure injury research including clinical trials, preclinical studies on physiological responses to mechanical and heat loading, developing and validating performance standards for wheelchair seat cushions and mattresses and development of new technology for pressure injury prevention.