Measures of Skin Turgor in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Meri T. Goehring, PhD, Joni Farran, DPT, Courtney Ingles-Laughlin, DPT, Sarah Benedista-Seelman, DPT, Betsy Williams, MSLIS

 

Many studies use similar methods to measure skin turgor, but there is no gold standard method that is being followed in clinics or hospitals. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine if there is any consistent method to measure skin turgor in humans that is valid and reliable. METHODS: Topics of interest for turgor assessment included dehydration; skin integrity, including wounds and skin flaps; and fluid/electrolyte balance for adults 18 years and older. PubMed, ProQuest Medical, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature complete databases were utilized. Levels of evidence were established with 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine scale. Methodological rigor was assessed … read more