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A comparison of cutaneous vascular responses to transient pressure loading in smokers and nonsmokers

A comparison of cutaneous vascular responses to transient pressure loading in smokers and nonsmokers
A comparison of cutaneous vascular responses to transient pressure loading in smokers and nonsmokers
Smoking has been recognized as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development. This study investigated the hypothesis that smoking causes alterations in cutaneous vascular perfusion, which may contribute to this increased risk. With the use of the laser Doppler fluximetry (LDF), the adaptive vasodilatory response to a transient pressure load at the sacrum was measured in nine healthy female smokers and their age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and menstrual cycle matched nonsmoker controls. In all subjects, removal of the pressure load resulted in a reactive hyperaemic response. The total hyperaemic response was approximately 45% smaller in smokers compared to nonsmoker controls. The reduction was due to a shortening of the duration of the response predominantly through an increase in the rate of recovery from peak, which was twice as fast in the smokers (2.4 ± 1.7 AU ¥ seconds) compared with the nonsmoking controls (1.1 ± 0.9 AU ¥ seconds) (p < 0.005). We conclude that changes in the vascular responsiveness can be measured objectively at skin sites at risk of pressure ulcers. We have also shown that vascular responsiveness is altered in light smokers compared to control subjects. These preliminary data open the way for further investigation into the risk factors associated with pressure ulcer development.
laser doppler fluximetry, pressure loading, pressure ulcers, reactive hyperaemia, sacrum, skin microcirculation, smoking
0748-7711
283-288
Noble, M.
4e378bdb-6835-49a9-b5a8-2ae1a78c5e7f
Voegeli, D.
e6f5d112-55b0-40c1-a6ad-8929a2d84a10
Clough, G.F.
9f19639e-a929-4976-ac35-259f9011c494
Noble, M.
4e378bdb-6835-49a9-b5a8-2ae1a78c5e7f
Voegeli, D.
e6f5d112-55b0-40c1-a6ad-8929a2d84a10
Clough, G.F.
9f19639e-a929-4976-ac35-259f9011c494

Noble, M., Voegeli, D. and Clough, G.F. (2003) A comparison of cutaneous vascular responses to transient pressure loading in smokers and nonsmokers. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 40 (3), 283-288.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Smoking has been recognized as a risk factor for pressure ulcer development. This study investigated the hypothesis that smoking causes alterations in cutaneous vascular perfusion, which may contribute to this increased risk. With the use of the laser Doppler fluximetry (LDF), the adaptive vasodilatory response to a transient pressure load at the sacrum was measured in nine healthy female smokers and their age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and menstrual cycle matched nonsmoker controls. In all subjects, removal of the pressure load resulted in a reactive hyperaemic response. The total hyperaemic response was approximately 45% smaller in smokers compared to nonsmoker controls. The reduction was due to a shortening of the duration of the response predominantly through an increase in the rate of recovery from peak, which was twice as fast in the smokers (2.4 ± 1.7 AU ¥ seconds) compared with the nonsmoking controls (1.1 ± 0.9 AU ¥ seconds) (p < 0.005). We conclude that changes in the vascular responsiveness can be measured objectively at skin sites at risk of pressure ulcers. We have also shown that vascular responsiveness is altered in light smokers compared to control subjects. These preliminary data open the way for further investigation into the risk factors associated with pressure ulcer development.

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Published date: May 2003
Keywords: laser doppler fluximetry, pressure loading, pressure ulcers, reactive hyperaemia, sacrum, skin microcirculation, smoking

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 9358
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/9358
ISSN: 0748-7711
PURE UUID: fc2e2a07-e971-4ef0-887c-9fb987c3d0f0
ORCID for D. Voegeli: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3457-7177
ORCID for G.F. Clough: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6226-8964

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Oct 2004
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:54

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Contributors

Author: M. Noble
Author: D. Voegeli ORCID iD
Author: G.F. Clough ORCID iD

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