Preventing Pressure Ulcer Paper

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

A study conducted over seven years by Amir et al (2011) showed a significant decline of pressure ulcer development after three years of the study. This was partly due to strategies being implemented in regards to repositioning along with adequate nutrition, pressure ulcer prevention information leaflets were given to patients and skin assessments (Amir et al., 2011). It must also be considered that different patients will have different comorbidities and the use of a risk assessment tool is vital to assess and implementing a plan for pressure ulcer prevention according to the patient’s score (Tannen et al., 2010).

Stechmiller, J. K. (2010). Understanding the Role of Nutrition and Wound Healing. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 25(1), 61-68. doi:10.1177/0884533609358997

NHS Tayside have adapted their MUST Tool from BAPEN.Bapen is a multi-professional association with its members consisting of the healthcare professionals found in a multi-disiplinary team.(the explanary booklet).The purpose of the MUST Tool is to ‘identify adults who are underweight and at risk of malnutrition,as well as those who are obese.’ There are five steps to using the MUST tool,which can help when completing a careplan.nutrition plays an important role in the assessment of pressure ulcers as inadequate nutrition can lead to delayed recovery and healing time leading to a longer stay in hospital(MUST report 10 key points). The initial step is to measure the height and weight of the patient to calcuylate BMI.This then enables a score to be obtained for step 1.

Williams, 1992 states that pressure ulcer occurs where there is poor level of nursing care for a long term basis but it is also found with hospitals that offer severe care. We know that a sore healing needs conditions of dietary aspects and it can be reversed. There have been several studies made

Pressure ulcers refer to damage that occurs to the skin of a patient. Pressure, shear and friction are among the known causes (Shahin, Dassen & Halfens, 2009). Pressure ulcers mostly affect the lower part of the body, the elderly and patients with spinal injuries (Shahin et al, 2009). They are expensive to treat, require long periods of time and numerous treatments to heal. As a

Pressure ulcers are a serious problem in the medical world today. They affect millions of people and cost medical facilities billions of dollars annually. In order to help prevent pressure ulcers, it is important to understand how and why they happen, the risk factors involved for patients and what can be done to prevent them. Many studies have been done to assess different techniques for preventing and treating pressure ulcers. In addition to using the best medical products, it has been found that proper education for the nurse and the patient plays an integral role in the prevention and treatment of ulcers. This paper will discuss evidence based practice, the nursing role, and client education in pressure ulcer formation and healing.

Be sure all shifts are represented. Risk assessment to all residents every shift. Educate all staff the knowledge of pressure ulcer including risk factors, prevention method. Ensure that all the staff, understand the guidelines, policies and role of responsibility. Empower them to organize their shifts and tasks, assure interventions are implemented and communicated. Use evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention guidelines in the clinical practice. The electronic computer support system create a resident-tailored protocol information into the system included (1) Record the preventive materials for easy entrance. Such as foam mattress availability. (2) Resident pressure ulcer risk assessment, pressure ulcer and skin assessments. (3) Information on evidence-based interventions and referrals to other types of care staff such as dieticians. Nutrition interventions have been found to reduce

One of the greatest indicators for the quality of care is health care facilities is the amount of pressure ulcers acquired in patients. Approximately 1 million people develop hospital-acquired pressure ulcers each year affecting hospitalized patients in both acute and long term care settings. The incidence of pressure ulcers ranges from 0.4%-12% in acute care settings, along with the prevalence range from 12%-18%. Pressure ulcers cause increase pain, suffering, and decreased quality of life along with extended hospital stay. According to the national pressure ulcer advisory panel a pressure ulcer is defined as “localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination

Pressure ulcers additionally called bedsores or pressure sores, are wounds to skin and fundamental tissue coming about because of delayed weight on the skin. A pressure ulcer is confined damage to the skin or basic tissue more often than not over a hard unmistakable quality, as a consequence of weight, or weight in blend with shear and contact. Since muscle and subcutaneous tissue are more defenseless to weight incited harm than skin, bedsores are regularly more awful than their introductory appearance. Pressure ulcers are then organized to direct clinical depiction of the profundity of detectable tissue demolition. It is assessed that these ulcers commonness in intense consideration is 15%, while frequency in intense consideration is 7%. It is evaluated that 2.5 million patients are treated for bedsores in US wellbeing acute care facilities every year. Pressure ulcers cause significant damage to patients, obstructing useful recuperation, often bringing on torment and the improvement of genuine diseases. They have additionally been connected with a broadened length of stay, sepsis, and mortality. Truth be told, about 60,000 US facility patients are assessed to pass away every year from complexities because of these ulcers. The evaluated expense of dealing with a solitary full thickness ulcer is as high as $70, 000, and the aggregate expense for treatment of pressure ulcers in the US is assessed at $11 billion every year.

This checklist includes list of healthcare practitioners involved in patient care and treatment initiated in preventing pressure ulcers (Appendix C). This checklist is mandatory and must become a norm in daily nursing practice. Lastly, the team will be given chain of communication guide diagram (Appendix D). The nursing staff will understand the communication required with other clinicians in order to provide appropriate treatment for pressure ulcers by following this guide. This first stage will hold weekly meetings consisting of discussion for implementation stage. Any questions and concerns will be expressed before the next stage among the clinicians.

Optimal nutrition helps pressure ulcer healing, keeps immune competence and reduces risk of infection. On the other hand, when patients are in a poor nutritional state wound healing is impaired and more likely to be complicated by infection (Edmonds,

A pressure ulcer is an area of skin with unrelieved pressure resulting in ischemia, cell death, and necrotic tissue. The constant external pressure or rubbing that exceeds the arterial capillary pressure (32 mm Hg) and impairs local normal blood flow to tissue for an extended period, results in pressure ulcer (Brunner and Smeltzer, 2013). According to National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 2014, pressure ulcers are a major burden to the society, as it approaches $11 billion annually, with a cost range from $500 to $70,000 per person pressure ulcer. It is a significant healthcare problem despite much investment in education, training, and prevention equipment. This paper includes two different studies to link cause-effect and prevention of pressure ulcers.

Upon admission to a hospital, a patient may be at risk for numerous hospital-acquired conditions. Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores or “bed sores”, are a type of hospital-acquired condition that may develop during a hospital admission if proper risk assessment is not performed by a registered nurse (RN). Pressure ulcers form over bony prominences, such as the back, heel, ischium, sacrum, and elbow, when circulation of these prominences is impaired (Jarvis, 2012). Pressure ulcers may develop when a person is confined to a bed or immobilized, which impedes proper delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin resulting in cell death (Jarvis, 2012). Pressure ulcers are divided into four stages. In stage I, a nonblanchable redness of intact skin appears that does not disappear for 24 hours after pressure is relieved. In stage II, there is partial-thickness erosion of the epidermis or the dermis layer of the skin. Full-thickness pressure ulcers are a stage III ulcer, which extend into subcutaneous tissue. Lastly, stage IV pressure ulcers involve all skin layers and may expose muscle, tendon or bone. Pressure ulcers can be prevented if risk assessment is performed and at-risk individuals are identified (DeLaune & Ladner, 2011).

Instead of having an experimental component the article goes into depth about the different nutritional benefits patients should be getting. Because those in critical care are ill and in a compromised position, preventing pressure ulcers can be even more challenging. This article proposes however, that nutrition is essential in slowing down the formation of pressure ulcers and increasing the efficiency of wound healing. Though the article is not an experimental study it is reliable in the sense that all of the information is valid. The article defines important terms, talks about the specific nutritional benefits certain food groups contain and how this all relates to preventing and treating pressure ulcers. The research integrity of this article is strong because it is not based on biased opinions but rather it is based on factual information applicable to the critical care patients. I do find that because there isn’t any comparative study being done that the article has its limitations. It would be interesting to weigh the benefits of the nutritional component with the damaging effects of not doing anything at all. The key findings of this article include the importance of screening patients to find out their nutritional status as well as getting them in touch early with a registered dietitian. This will help to figure out the appropriate feedings the patients need to be administered including beneficial micronutrient and macronutrient supplementation. Both of these supplements promote the healing of wounds and are helpful when it comes to making improvements for the critical care patients and their nutritional status.