Efeitos da fotobiomodulação na prevenção da lesão por pressão em pacientes com diagnóstico de covid-19: estudo clínico, randomizado, controlado e duplo cego

Abstract

Pressure injury (PI) is considered a serious public health problem and a negative indicator of nursing care quality. This controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical study assessed the preventive effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) on the development of PIs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. A total of 140 participants with moderate, high, and very high risk of developing PIs, according to the Braden scale, were included. Participants were randomized into two groups: Control (n=70), receiving standard hospital care for PI prevention, and the PBM Group (n=70), receiving the same care with PBM applied to the sacral and heel regions. PBM was applied daily using an LED array (132 LEDs at 660nm and 132 at 850nm, all at 8 mW; 4.89 J; 9.6 J/cm2, and 16 mW/cm²). PI incidence was assessed every 48 hours for a period of one month or until the patient's hospital discharge. PI incidence was also correlated with demographic and clinical patient data. Despite there being no difference between the FBM and Control groups, it was possible to identify that, after 15 days of treatment, there was an increase in the preventive effect on the development of pressure injury within the FBM group. Additionally, TISS-28 and the presence of HIV infection emerged as significant predictor variables for PI development, while vaccination against COVID-19 showed a protective effect against the development of PI. It is concluded that photobiomodulation (FBM) did not provide a significant reduction in the occurrence of LPP in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Future studies should consider a treatment duration longer than 15 days. Variables such as HIV+, TISS, and vaccination against COVID-19 status should be considered in assessing the risk of PPI development.