Improving practice: efforts to reduce occipital pressure ulcers.
Cervical collars are necessary to stabilize the cervical spine of trauma patients but are known to contribute to the development of occipital pressure ulcers. A quality improvement project that began on one nursing unit stimulated the development of evidence-based practice guidelines and a multidisciplinary research study. As a result, a standardized plan of care and cervical collar recommendations were implemented, resulting in a sharp decline in the incidence of occipital pressure ulcers.
Jacobson
Therese M
TM
St Mary's Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55902, USA. jacobson.therese@mayo.edu
Tescher
Ann N
AN
Miers
Anne G
AG
Downer
Lisa
L
D001915:Braces / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004867:Equipment Design; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015994:Incidence; D033181:Information Dissemination; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D009777:Occipital Bone; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014193:Trauma Centers