BBI SEM Scanner Reduces Pressure Ulcer Incidence by 86 Percent

It is unfortunate that the care provided in hospitals and care centres has never been quite good enough to avoid the development of pressure sores. It only takes just a little more care and attention from a hospital worker that could help to reduce the incidence of pressure sores amongst those confined to beds and who are unable to help themselves. Most hospitals and care facilities barely have sufficient staff to cope with emergencies and life threatening illness, let alone have enough staff to supervise the outcome of long term patients and reduce the chance of a pressure sore developing.

Local health facilities may have problems providing the required care, but in the background there are companies trying to develop technology that could help to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers. One major player is BBI, a specialist medical device producer, which recently revealed that the use of its SEM scanner has led to an 86 percent decline in pressure ulcers in hospitals. The device developed by BBI is a biometric-sensor based medical device which develops a point of care diagnostic solution for the monitoring and early detection of chronic and preventable conditions.

The SEM scanner has been used in Europe since 2014. It’s a portable, hand-held, skin assessment device that has the capacity to measure the presence of sub-epidermal moisture often referred to as localised oedema. This is an invisible warning indicating the potential development of early pressure damage.

Who is vulnerable to pressure sores?

Pressure ulcers don’t choose their victims, but can develop in anyone young or old who hasn’t been mobile for some time. Those usually affected are the seriously ill and the elderly. The real issue is that they can be prevented if more care was given to potential victims. When care isn’t available, pressure ulcers take the lead as the main cause of harm taking place in the NHS. They end up costing the NHS far more than they should, because those affected can’t leave hospitals until the pressure ulcer is on the mend. In fact, recent NHS research reveals that pressure sore damage costs the NHS more than £3.8m per day. This is between 1,700 and 2,000 patients each month who needlessly develop pressure ulcers.

The use of the SEM scanner can help detect tissue damage on the heels and the sacrum on average 5 days before it can be seen on the skin’s surface. This allows the problem to be treated before it becomes evident on the skin’s surface, which ultimately prevents pressure sores from developing at all.

SEM scanner reduces hospital pressure ulcers by 86 percent

According to Nuffield Trust research readmission of patients for pressure sores just about trebled from the 2010/11 period figure of 7,787 to the 2016/17 level of 22,448. The rise in the readmission rate of patients with a pressure sore was actually greater than the overall rise in hospital based pressure sore diagnoses.

Martin Burns, the CEO of BBI, believes that these pressure ulcer levels shouldn’t increase with the advent of the scanners and more recruitment and training of tissue viability nurses (TVNs). It doesn’t take much to deduce that the action of TVNs means their patients don’t have to endure the pain of pressure ulcers. More NHS beds become available and less time is used nursing and treating patients with pus. This means money held in NHS trusts is saved.

Currently, the SEM scanner, which is CE Mark rated, is available in Canada, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Britain and Ireland.

If you have a loved one who has needlessly suffered from preventable pressure ulcers it may be possible to file a personal injury claim against the individual or organisation found to be at fault. Talk to a solicitor to discuss the eligibility of your loved one.