title: Prevalence, prevention, and treatment of pressure ulcers: descriptive study in 89 institutions in the Netherlands.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of pressure ulcers and the use of Dutch guidelines for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. A survey of 16,344 patients in 89 health care institutions on 1 day showed a mean prevalence of pressure ulcers of 23.1%. It was found that Dutch guidelines on some aspects of prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers were not being followed. Only 53% of the patients who should have been positioned on a support surface were positioned on such a device. Fewer than one-third of the patients who should have been repositioned, should have received nutritional support, or should have been educated received these interventions, and only 33.6% of all pressure ulcers were dressed as recommended. More attention to the dissemination and implementation of the guidelines is needed to reduce this high prevalence of pressure ulcers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerrie J J W
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bours
authors.forename: Ruud J G
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Halfens
authors.forename: Huda Huijer
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Abu-Saad
authors.forename: Richard T P M
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Grol
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001458:Bandages / Q000592:standards; D001513:Beds / Q000592:standards; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006699:Home Care Services; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires