Pressure Ulcers
Feature
Strategies to improve the prevention of pressure ulcers
Judy Elliott describes a project that sought to improve tissue viability during the patient journey from admission to discharge
Summary
This article outlines the actions taken by one acute trust to implement evidence-based, best practice recommendations for pressure ulcer prevention. Initially, an exploratory study identified specific areas for practice development, particularly improving early risk assessment, intervention and focus on heel ulcers. Further actions included recruiting tissue viability support workers to promote a pressure ulcer campaign. Prevalence audit results demonstrated improved prevention and reduced prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers by 6 per cent and heel ulcers by 4.9 per cent. Further work is required to ensure prevention strategies are consistent and documented.
Keywords Best practice, evidence base, pressure ulcer prevention (
Institute for Innovation and Improvement 2009), therefore it is important to seek further initiatives to eliminate avoidable pressure ulcers from NHS care.
Tissue damage
A pressure ulcer is defined as (European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) 2009): '...localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear.' Healthy individuals are continuously moving and readjusting their body posture to prevent excess pressure and shear forces. Reduced mobility or sensation interrupts this natural response, rendering an individual vulnerable to tissue damage. Eurther susceptibility is influenced by an individual's intrinsic risk factors reflected by their tissue tolerance (Bonomini 2003). Individual risk factors include immobility, malnourishment, cognitive impairment, acute and chronic ulness (National Institute for Health and CUnicad Excellence (NICE) 2005). Pressure ulcer prevention
Strategies to improve the prevention of pressure ulcers
Judy Elliott describes a project that sought to improve tissue viability during the patient journey from admission to discharge
Summary
This article outlines the actions taken by one acute trust to implement evidence-based, best practice recommendations for pressure ulcer prevention. Initially, an exploratory study identified specific areas for practice development, particularly improving early risk assessment, intervention and focus on heel ulcers. Further actions included recruiting tissue viability support workers to promote a pressure ulcer campaign. Prevalence audit results demonstrated improved prevention and reduced prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers by 6 per cent and heel ulcers by 4.9 per cent. Further work is required to ensure prevention strategies are consistent and documented.
Keywords Best practice, evidence base, pressure ulcer prevention (
Institute for Innovation and Improvement 2009), therefore it is important to seek further initiatives to eliminate avoidable pressure ulcers from NHS care.
Tissue damage
A pressure ulcer is defined as (European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) 2009): '...localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear.' Healthy individuals are continuously moving and readjusting their body posture to prevent excess pressure and shear forces. Reduced mobility or sensation interrupts this natural response, rendering an individual vulnerable to tissue damage. Eurther susceptibility is influenced by an individual's intrinsic risk factors reflected by their tissue tolerance (Bonomini 2003). Individual risk factors include immobility, malnourishment, cognitive impairment, acute and chronic ulness (National Institute for Health and CUnicad Excellence (NICE) 2005). Pressure ulcer prevention
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Care Science and Practice. 6, 1,8-12. Yin R (2003) Case Study Research, Design and Methods. Third edition. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks CA. November 2010 Volume 22 I Number 9 NURSING OLDER PEOPLE Copyright of Nursing Older People is the property of RCN Publishing Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder 's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.