The Prevalence Of Pressure Ulcers

Evidence suggests that pressure ulcers greatly increase mortality rates in both hospitals and nursing homes (Thomas, 2001). Patients who develop a pressure ulcer within six weeks of admission to an acute-care facility are three times more likely to die than patients who do not develop pressure ulcers (Thomas, 2001). Moreover, patients who develop a pressure ulcer within three months of admission to a long-term care facility are associated with a 92% mortality rate compared with a 4% mortality rate for patients who do not develop them (Thomas, 2001). This evidence alone shows how significant this problem is to the overall health status of patients. In my personal nursing experience, I have heard many complaints voiced from patients and their family members concerning the development of new pressure ulcers. Patients and family members have expressed dissatisfaction because of the increased stress and prolonged hospital stay often associated with the treatment of pressure ulcers.

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

Fortunately, according to Chan et al., (2008), 95% of pressure ulcers can be prevented and nursing care is believed to be a primary method of preventing pressure ulcer development. Research was conducted on accredited search databases such as CINAHL, Nursing Resource Center and OvidSP on prevention measures for pressure ulcers. A number of credible evidence based research was found that supported the nursing intervention of

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

Pressure ulcers are a problem and can lead to poor patient outcomes as well as hospital fines. Evidence based studies have shown that “the average cost of care in an acute care hospital for a patient with a stage III or stage IV pressure ulcer reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is $43,180” (Jackson, 2008). Pressure ulcers and other skin breakdowns are among the most significant adverse events causing distress for patients and their care givers and compromising patients’ recovery from illness or injury (Gardiner, 2008). It is the tasks of nurses to ensure prevention of these complications is part of the daily care regimen.

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).

Today in clinical I experienced how to properly position a patient to prevent the risk of further damage, such as pressure ulcers.

According to Stockhausen & Conrick (2002), “Learning how to critique research articles is one of the fundamental skills of scholarship in any discipline” (p. 38). Burns & Grove (2011) found “An intellectual critical appraisal of a study involves a careful, complete examination of that study to judge its strengths, weaknesses, meaning, credibility, and significance for practice” (p. 419). The extent, amount and nature of publications accessible today by different means implies it has become crucial to prepare students and practitioners to judge the trustworthiness and helpfulness of published research (Stockhausen & Conrick, 2002, p. 38). The purpose of this report is critiquing a qualitative research article on pressure ulcers.

Pressure Ulcers affects patients the older patients due to the problem of immobility. A pressure

Pressure Ulcers Prevention (PUP) is a national initiative for all hospitals. Medicare estimates an average of $146 million being spent annually for hospital acquired conditions which include pressure ulcers (Kandilov, Coomer, & Dalton, 2014). Hospital acquired pressure ulcers are among the top five adverse events reported today (Gillespie, Chaboyer, Kent, Whitty, & Thalib, 2014). Medicare will stop paying for hospital acquired conditions therefore prevention is the key (Kandilov, Coomer, & Dalton, 2014). Best practice guidelines advocate routine repositioning of patients however the studies were not based on RCT’s and were conducted well over 20 years ago, and before the improvement of mattress that are used in hospitals and long-term care facilities (Gillespie, Chaboyer, Kent, Whitty, & Thalib, 2014). The purpose of this assignment is to critique a problem (repositioning patients to prevent pressure ulcers) related to the nursing profession that will allow the reader to identify, appraise, and synthesize studies in order to draw a conclusion from the data collected. The systematic research review (SRR) “Repositioning for pressure ulcer prevention in adults” by Gillespie, Chaboyer, Kent, Whitty, & Thalib, (2014) will be critiqued in this paper by describing the relevance of preventing pressure ulcers; the rigor of the studies used; critiquing the levels of evidence of the studies; describe the clarity with which the studies are

With pressure ulcers affecting 1 to 3 million people in the Untied States each year, pressure ulcers can reduce overall quality of life because of the pain, the treatment, and the increased length stay within a healthcare facility (Berlowitz et al., 2014). It is estimated that 60,000 patients will die each year as a direct result to pressure ulcers (Berlowitz et al., 2014). The cost is between 9.2 billion, to 15.6 billion per year in the Untied States (Berlowitz et al., 2014). It is also stated that pressure ulcers may be associated with sever pain (Berlowitz et al., 2014). So, are inpatient between the ages of 18 years or older who are “at risk” for pressure ulcers at increased risk for pain compared to other inpatients between the ages of 18 years or older who are not “at risk” of having pressure ulcers during their hospital stay?

According to the textbook, nurses in various settings are adopting a research-based (or evidence-based) practice that incorporates research findings into their decisions and interaction with clients. How do you see this being applied in your workplace?

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