Pressure injuries are one of the most challenging complications faced by patients with spinal cord injury. They can add months to a hospital stay, lead to infection and significantly delay rehabilitation. Prince of Wales Hospital staff began trialling an innovative approach that could dramatically improve outcomes for these patients.
The project combines two powerful tools: portable ultrasound imaging and early electrical stimulation therapy. Together, they allow clinicians to detect pressure injuries much earlier, monitor them more precisely and intervene in real time. Instead of waiting for a radiology appointment – a process that can take days – staff can now assess a wound at the bedside using point-of-care ultrasound. This means faster decisions, fewer complications and treatment plans that can be updated immediately if a wound begins to deteriorate.
Research shows this approach could reduce healing times and hospital stays by more than 50%, easing the physical and emotional burden on patients and reducing healthcare costs.
Importantly, this project will also strengthen clinical training across the Spinal Injuries Unit by helping staff build advanced wound-care capability that benefits every patient in their care.
This project was funded by our Annual Grants program, and it’s with your support that we can deliver new technology into the hands of clinicians, who are changing lives every day.