Skin integrity in the pediatric population: preventing and managing pressure ulcers.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize clinical and empirical knowledge about pressure ulcers in infants and children and to describe an approach developed at Children's Hospital, Boston, to prevent and manage pressure ulcers.


METHODS
Acutely ill children with potential or actual alteration in skin integrity due to pressure ulcers.


CONCLUSIONS
The three-pronged approach for pressure ulcer prevention and management developed by the Skin Care Task Force at the Children's Hospital, Boston, decreases unnecessary variation in practice surrounding the prevention and care of pressure ulcers in acutely ill children.


CONCLUSIONS
The Skin Care Task Force recommends use of Braden Q for pediatric risk assessment, a skin care algorithm for prevention of pressure ulcers, and a pressure ulcer algorithm for staging and managing pressure ulcers.
Quigley
S M
SM
Multidisciplinary ICU, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. quigleys@a1.tch.harvard.edu
Curley
M A
MA
D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000592:standards; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*