Article

Deep pressure ulcers represent a major problem for individuals with spinal cord
injury (SCI), with the initial damage often hidden underneath intact skin.
Accordingly, early detection is difficult and treatment is problematic. In the
present study, circulatory levels of biomarkers for muscle damage were
investigated to explore their potential in the early detection of deep pressure
ulcers. Baseline concentrations of creatine kinase, myoglobin (Mb), heart-type
fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured
in small groups of nondisabled (age 39-66 yr) subjects and subjects with SCI (age
40-68 yr, American Spinal Injury Association grade A-B, level of injury thoracic
11 to lumbar 3) over a period of 5 days. Each subject exhibited a unique
concentration profile for all markers, although some correlations were observed;
for example, Mb and H-FABP were correlated for both subject groups. No
significant differences were found in marker concentrations between the two
subject groups, although a trend toward higher CRP levels was observed in the SCI
subjects. Furthermore, one SCI subject with a category II pressure ulcer
exhibited higher H-FABP and CRP concentrations than all other subjects. Because
the variations in each of the marker concentrations were smaller than the
predicted increases after pressure ulcers, this combination of plasma markers may
prove appropriate for the early detection of deep pressure ulcers.

Langue : ANGLAIS