Open AccessReliability of Repeated Measurements on Post‐Burn Scars with Corneometer CM 825 ®
Author(s) -
Anthonissen M.,
Daly D.,
Peeters R.,
Van Brussel M.,
Fieuws S.,
Moortgat P.,
Flour M.,
Van den Kerckhove E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
skin research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.521
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1600-0846
pISSN - 0909-752X
DOI - 10.1111/srt.12193
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , scars , limits of agreement , stratum corneum , coefficient of variation , medicine , statistics , mathematics , surgery , nuclear medicine , thermodynamics , pathology , physics , power (physics)
Background/purpose The water content in burn scars, the parameter of stratum corneum water holding capacity, is an important feature in evaluation of biophysical properties of scars. Nevertheless, quantifiying this parameter is a challenge. In this study, the reliability of repeated water content measurements with Corneometer CM 825 ® on (burn) scars was investigated. Methods Intra‐observer reliability, inter‐observer reliability and day‐by‐day variability were examined on 30 scars by means of intra‐class correlation coefficient ( ICC ) and within‐subject coefficient of variation ( WSCV ). Bland–Altman plots with ‘95% limits of agreement’ were constructed. Results Results revealed excellent ICC values ( ICC intra = 0.985; ICC inter = 0.984) with relatively low WSCV ( WSCV intra = 6.3%; WSCV inter = 10.6%) for respectively intra‐ and inter‐observer reliability. However, the Bland–Altman plot showed that more than 5% of differences were expected to exceed 4 a.u., the limit of what has been defined as a clinically acceptable difference. Results for day‐by‐day variability showed good ICC value ( ICC day‐by‐day = 0.849) and higher WSCV ( WSCV day‐by‐day = 20.5%). Conclusion The Corneometer CM 825 ® is an objective and sensitive instrument for water content measurements. On the basis of our results, we concluded that the instrument can be used in clinical trials, but only under very strict conditions with standardized test protocol, preferably in combination with the evaluation of other physiological parameters.