Retrospective Cohort Noninferiority Analysis of Barrier Cream in Preventing Pressure Injuries

Abstract

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OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of a dimethicone- and zinc-based barrier cream compared with hyperoxygenated fatty acids in preventing pressure injuries (PIs) in patients at high or very high risk. METHODS Researchers conducted a retrospective noninferiority study in an inpatient acute care hospital in Spain that included hospitalized patients in nonsurgical departments with impaired mobility. RESULTS The study authors reviewed 522 patients in a control group (hyperoxygenated fatty acids) and an experimental group (barrier cream) over a period of 7 days. The incidence of PI was 31% in the control group and 31.1% in the experimental group. The hazard ratio for developing PI was 0.84 (confidence interval, 0.61-1.17; P = .32) in the experimental group compared with the control group, meeting the criteria for noninferiority. The Kaplan-Meier estimator indicated no statistically significant difference between groups (log-rank = 0.654). CONCLUSIONS Dimethicone- and zinc-based barrier cream was not inferior to hyperoxygenated fatty acids in preventing PIs in hospitalized patients at high or very high risk of developing them during their hospital stay.