Roca-Biosca A, Rubio-Rico L, De Molina-Fernández MI, Martinez-Castillo JF, Pancorbo-Hidalgo PL, García-Fernández FP, et al.
Journal of tissue viability. Date of publication 2021 May 1;volume 30(2):178-182.
1. J Tissue Viability. 2021 May;30(2):178-182. doi: 10.1016/j.jtv.2021.02.006. Epub
2021 Feb 27.
Kennedy terminal ulcer and other skin wounds at the end of life: An integrative
review.
Roca-Biosca A(1), Rubio-Rico L(2), De Molina-Fernández MI(3), Martinez-Castillo
JF(4), Pancorbo-Hidalgo PL(5), García-Fernández FP(6).
Author information:
(1)Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Rovira I Virgili University,
Tarragona, Spain. Electronic address: alba.roca@urv.cat.
(2)Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Rovira I Virgili University,
Tarragona, Spain. Electronic address: lourdes.rubio@urv.cat.
(3)Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Rovira I Virgili University,
Tarragona, Spain. Electronic address: inmaculada.demolina@urv.cat.
(4)Hospital Cristo Rey, Jaén, Spain. Electronic address:
juanfra.martinez96@gmail.com.
(5)Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Spain.
Electronic address: pancorbo@ujaen.es.
(6)Department of Nursing, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University
of Jaén, Spain. Electronic address: fpgarcia@ujaen.es.
AIMS: To undertake an integrative literature review to identify, analyse and
synthesize current literature on the Kennedy terminal ulcer (KTU) and other
unavoidable skin injuries that appear at the end of life regardless of the
healthcare context in which they occur.
METHODS: Integrative review following the Whittemore and Knafl methodology. The
search was carried out in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health
Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus. It was limited to articles in English, French,
Portuguese and Spanish. As there is little scientific production on the subject,
no restrictions were applied regarding publication date.
RESULTS: Only 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. These articles were
reviewed and analysed. Four relevant issues emerged: Skin failure, SCALE, Kennedy
Terminal Ulcer, Trombley-Brennan: different names for the same problem; the
defining characteristics and physiopathology of KTU; the differences between KTU
and other injuries; and the care approach for KTU and other unavoidable injuries
at the end of life.
CONCLUSIONS: We identified gaps regarding the physiopathology of KTU since the
current knowledge is based only on hypotheses. There is also a large gap in the
knowledge about care approaches, perhaps because care plans are not recorded.
Despite this, it is clear that the main objective in this situation at the end of
life would be to prioritize patient comfort and quality of life.
Copyright © 2021 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights
reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtv.2021.02.006
PMID: 33685789 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
