TY - JOUR
T1 - Patient-reported symptoms of ‘calm’, ‘irritated’ and ‘infected’ skeletal external fixator pin site wound states
T2 - a cross-sectional study
AU - Santy-Tomlinson, Julie
AU - Jomeen, Julie
AU - Ersser, Steven Jeffrey
N1 - © 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy.
PY - 2019/2/25
Y1 - 2019/2/25
N2 - Objective: To explore the frequency, severity and variances in patient-reported
symptoms of calm, irritated and infected skeletal pin sites.
Methods: A cross-sectional within-subjects repeated-measures study was
conducted, employing a self-report questionnaire. Patients (n=165) treated with
lower limb external fixators at 7 English hospitals completed a designed
questionnaire. Three sets of retrospective repeated-measures data were
collected relating to calm, irritated and infected pin sites.
Results: Significant differences were revealed between each of the three pin site
states (calm, irritated & infected) in the degree of redness, swelling, itchiness,
pain, wound discharge, heat/burning, shiny skin and odour. In relation to difficulty
or pain using the affected arm or leg, difficulty weight bearing on the leg, nausea
and/or vomiting, feeling unwell or feverish, shivering, tiredness/lethargy and
disturbed sleep, significant differences were demonstrated between infected and
irritated states and infected and calm states, but not between irritated and calm
Conclusions: The findings provide greater depth of understanding of the
symptoms of pin site infection and irritation. Patients may be able to differentiate
between different pin site states by comparing the magnitude of the inflammatory
symptoms and the presence of other specific symptoms that relate solely to
2
infection and no other clinical state. The irritated state is probably caused by a
different pathological process rather than infection and may be an indication of
contact dermatitis.
AB - Objective: To explore the frequency, severity and variances in patient-reported
symptoms of calm, irritated and infected skeletal pin sites.
Methods: A cross-sectional within-subjects repeated-measures study was
conducted, employing a self-report questionnaire. Patients (n=165) treated with
lower limb external fixators at 7 English hospitals completed a designed
questionnaire. Three sets of retrospective repeated-measures data were
collected relating to calm, irritated and infected pin sites.
Results: Significant differences were revealed between each of the three pin site
states (calm, irritated & infected) in the degree of redness, swelling, itchiness,
pain, wound discharge, heat/burning, shiny skin and odour. In relation to difficulty
or pain using the affected arm or leg, difficulty weight bearing on the leg, nausea
and/or vomiting, feeling unwell or feverish, shivering, tiredness/lethargy and
disturbed sleep, significant differences were demonstrated between infected and
irritated states and infected and calm states, but not between irritated and calm
Conclusions: The findings provide greater depth of understanding of the
symptoms of pin site infection and irritation. Patients may be able to differentiate
between different pin site states by comparing the magnitude of the inflammatory
symptoms and the presence of other specific symptoms that relate solely to
2
infection and no other clinical state. The irritated state is probably caused by a
different pathological process rather than infection and may be an indication of
contact dermatitis.
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijotn.2019.01.002
DO - 10.1016/j.ijotn.2019.01.002
M3 - Article
JO - International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing
JF - International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing
ER -