Pressure Ulcer Prevention
Introduction:
Each year more than 2.5 million people develop pressure ulcers in the United States alone with an average cost of $9.1 to $11.6 billion per year (Kalowes, Messina and Li, 2016). This has lead to reduced physical and mental functions, reduced vitality, and increased pain and has even been used as a measure of the quality of nursing care. Therefore, pressure ulcers remain a major health concern worldwide and are a high-prevalence problem in hospitalized patients. A pressure ulcer is defined as tissue damage that arises from the application of direct pressure and/or shearing forces to the skin and soft tissues. Damage can range from skin erythema to damage of the muscle and underlying bone (Ellis, 2016). …show more content…
Despite the standard of care to prevent pressure ulcers from occurring, turning schedules, moisture management, and nutrition assessment, pressure ulcers are still occurring in many high risk patients. However, prophylactic silicone dressings may be the preventative measure needed to reduce pressure ulcers. These dressings are coated with a hydrophobic soft silicone layer and do not stick to the moist wound bed but instead adhere gently to the surrounding skin. The silicone forms a gentle bond between the dressing and the skin and ensures that fluid is absorbed by the dressing. These dressings can also help to reduce friction and tear when turning patients and acts as an extra layer to prevent pressure from occurring and breaking down the surrounding skin. In fact, in a randomized controlled study comparing patients receiving the usual care versus patients with a five layered silicone dressing, “patients who received the five layered soft silicone foam dressing showed significantly fewer pressure ulcers” (Kalowes, Messina and Li, 2016). Furthermore, another study showed that using these dresses over a period of three months showed that forty-one patients in the ICU that used these dressings had no signs of pressure ulcers (Santamaria, et al, 2015). In order for these dressings to be effective nurses must first assess patients when they arrive and then if they are at …show more content…
Because pressure ulcers are indicative of quality of care, it is essential that researchers find new and improved ways to stop the occurrence. The amount of research available on preventative measures for pressure ulcers indicates that researchers are aware of this need and are working hard to develop new best practice guidelines in the healthcare setting as a
Introduction:
Each year more than 2.5 million people develop pressure ulcers in the United States alone with an average cost of $9.1 to $11.6 billion per year (Kalowes, Messina and Li, 2016). This has lead to reduced physical and mental functions, reduced vitality, and increased pain and has even been used as a measure of the quality of nursing care. Therefore, pressure ulcers remain a major health concern worldwide and are a high-prevalence problem in hospitalized patients. A pressure ulcer is defined as tissue damage that arises from the application of direct pressure and/or shearing forces to the skin and soft tissues. Damage can range from skin erythema to damage of the muscle and underlying bone (Ellis, 2016). …show more content…
Despite the standard of care to prevent pressure ulcers from occurring, turning schedules, moisture management, and nutrition assessment, pressure ulcers are still occurring in many high risk patients. However, prophylactic silicone dressings may be the preventative measure needed to reduce pressure ulcers. These dressings are coated with a hydrophobic soft silicone layer and do not stick to the moist wound bed but instead adhere gently to the surrounding skin. The silicone forms a gentle bond between the dressing and the skin and ensures that fluid is absorbed by the dressing. These dressings can also help to reduce friction and tear when turning patients and acts as an extra layer to prevent pressure from occurring and breaking down the surrounding skin. In fact, in a randomized controlled study comparing patients receiving the usual care versus patients with a five layered silicone dressing, “patients who received the five layered soft silicone foam dressing showed significantly fewer pressure ulcers” (Kalowes, Messina and Li, 2016). Furthermore, another study showed that using these dresses over a period of three months showed that forty-one patients in the ICU that used these dressings had no signs of pressure ulcers (Santamaria, et al, 2015). In order for these dressings to be effective nurses must first assess patients when they arrive and then if they are at …show more content…
Because pressure ulcers are indicative of quality of care, it is essential that researchers find new and improved ways to stop the occurrence. The amount of research available on preventative measures for pressure ulcers indicates that researchers are aware of this need and are working hard to develop new best practice guidelines in the healthcare setting as a