Pressure Ulcer

A common health concern seen in the elderly, especially those within institutions, are pressure ulcers. A pressure ulcer is defined as a localized injury to the skin or underlying tissue that occurs when something keeps rubbing or pressing against the skin. Pressure on the skin causes a decrease of blood flow to that area and as a result, an ulcer may form because of the skin dying due to the lack of blood in that region. They generally occur over bony prominences such as, the buttock, elbow, hip, heel, back of the head and ankles. An ulcer has a greater chance of forming if the person uses a wheelchair or stays in bed for a long period of

This paper will discuss how pressure ulcers are essentially a serious problem within healthcare settings and how prevention is accountable in the development in pressure ulcers. The paper explores various ways to prevent pressure ulcers, reducing the risk factors, the responsibility of the duty of care of patients and the use of risk assessment tools. In order to prevent pressure ulcers, remove the risk. Evidence for this paper was gathered from seven peer reviewed journal articles from the

Pressure ulcers are one of the most common problems health care facilities often face which causes pain and discomfort for the patient, cost effective to manage and impacts negatively on the hospital (Pieper, Langemo, & Cuddigan, 2009; Padula et al., 2011). The development of pressure ulcers occur when there is injury to the skin or tissue usually over bony prominences such as the coccyx, sacrum or heels from the increase of pressure and shear. This injury will compromise blood flow and result in ischemia due to lack of oxygen being delivered (Gyawali et al., 2011). Patients such as those who are critically ill or bed bounded are at high risk of developing pressure ulcers (O'Brien et

An interdisciplinary team of professional staff is a necessity to overcome the issue of pressure ulcer development among patients. Relevant stakeholders would include a nurse, nurse aide, dietitian, and a hospitalist. The primary responsibilities of the nurse consist of completing and documenting skin and risk assessments, monitor progress and/or changes in medical/skin conditions, report patient problems to the hospitalist, and work with the wound team

Pressure ulcers during a hospital admission are preventable. Assessment and early intervention can stop skin breakdown before it begins. Many factors regarding Mr. J’s condition placed him at a high risk regarding nursing indicators. Mild dementia, recent fall and a fractured hip all require a high level of nursing care and indicates preventative practice. Upon assessment, precautions should be in place to deter further complications. The elderly are more

To start the search for evidence within University Hospital, questions were asked in regards to pressure ulcers. Monthly updates are often sent out via email from the wound care team to keep everyone up to date on knowledge. While there was informative numbers within those updates, this information falls short according to Moore, Webster, & Samuriwo (2015). The main limitation of the study is the lack of a control group in pressure ulcer prevention and treatment. There is no clarity in the specific criterion that contributed to improved clinical outcomes. Teams used more than one method in the research project. Also, there is no study that meant the inclusion criteria in the random clinical trials. The lack of standardized

While nurses encounter patients with pressure ulcers in home care and acute care settings, they are mainly a problem with elderly adults in long term care facilities. This is because of decreased sensory perception, decreased activity and mobility, skin moisture from incontinence, poor nutritional intake, and friction and shear (Stotts and Gunningberg, 2007).

Pressure ulcers are areas of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure. (Stechmiller et al., 2008) Pressure ulcers still one of the most significant health problem in our hospitals today, It affects on patients quality of life patient self-image and how long they will stay in hospital then the cost of patient treatment . Moore (2005) estimate that it costs a quarter of a million euro’s per annum to manage pressure ulcers in hospital and community settings across Ireland .which allows one to take immediate actions and prevent the ulcer if possible. To support pressure ulcer risk assessment several standardized pressure ulcer risk assessment scales have been introduced

Pressure Ulcer is a breakdown of skin appears on the skin over a very thin or bony prominence

Pressure ulcers are; damage to the skin or underlying structures from either inadequate perfusion or tissue compression. (Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 2009, p. 1889). Those at an increased risk for pressure ulcer formation: older adults, persons with spinal cord injury, surgical patients, obese patients, underweight patients, children and patients at end of life. (Ruth & Nix, 2012, p. 125). The Braden Scale, is a tool used to help identify a patient’s risk of developing a pressure ulcer.

Older adults are vulnerable to pressure ulcer due to different factors. It is very common among older population especially in long term care facility. It is important for nurses to assess the client on a daily basis to prevent pressure ulcers from developing because once a pressure ulcer develops, it is very challenging to treat. (Kozier et.al., 2014 p. 1005).

“Pressure ulcers are caused when an area of skin and the tissues below are damaged as a result of being placed under pressure sufficient to impair its blood supply.” as defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (as cited in Payne, 2016, p. 12). I had never really known much about pressure ulcers before nursing. The frequency to which pressure ulcers can occur, and the level of severity they can develop was shocking to me. This is the main reason this topic interested me. The article “Strategies to support prevention, identification and management of pressure ulcers in the community” by Drew Payne, focuses on community nursing and provides information on how to identify patients at risk, on pressure ulcer

For many hundreds of years, pressure sores have been recognized clinically. Throughout this time different pedagogies have been explicated to prevent patients from developing pressure sores (R. J. G. Halfens & M. Eggink 1995). What is more, less is known about the effectiveness of these methods. On account of this observation the author opted to recapitulate the fundamental care of preventing pressure sores among high risk individuals in a nursing home setting.

Pressure Injuries—often referred to as pressure sores, bed sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers—are the injuries, sores, inflammation or ulcers in the skin over a bony prominence due to constant pressure or friction. The common sites for pressure injuries are sacrum, heels, elbows, ankles, hip, knees, occipital bones and shoulder blades (Harris, Nagy &Vardaxis, 2010, p.1404). A shearing force or a frequent pressure on a bony prominence tends to block the blood supply which leads to ischemia or cell death. Elderly, incontinent, wheelchair or bed-bound individuals are prone to pressure sores. However, it also depends on the individual’s skin integrity and weight (Brown & Edwards, 2012, p. 239). The pressure injury can affect any person of any age. Therefore, every patient requires an assessment for risks regardless of gender, age or weight. A pressure injury can develop with both the high pressure for short duration and low

A bed sore, also known as a pressure ulcer is known as a wound that usually arises over boney prominences due to increased pressure in that area. Pressure ulcers are staged into stage I, stage II, stage III, stage IV, and unstageable. Today, pressure ulcers are increasing in nursing care centers and it’s becoming a problem. These sores interfere and produce pain, which can also lead to being admitted to the hospital if severe enough. The incident rate for acquiring a pressure ulcer in older adults aged 65 and up in nursing care centers is 2.2%-28% (Spear, 2013). It is important to prevent ulcers because infection can occur once they arise, which can lead to sepsis. It is very important to make sure nursing care centers understand ways to prevent pressure ulcers. “An ounce of