Taking the pressure off in the Emergency Department: evaluation of the prophylactic application of a low shear, soft silicon sacral dressing on high risk medical patients.
Pressure injuries are key clinical indicators of care standard. In Australia, pressure injuries increase length of hospital stay by 4.31 and cost $285 million annually. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of sacral dressing in reducing the prevalence of pressure injuries in older, high-risk patients. A non randomised one-sample experimental design was used in this study comprising of four phases. Of the 51 patients recruited to the study, one patient developed a sacral pressure injury compared to six patients identified in a known group with similar demographics who were not approached to participate in the study. The results indicated that patients in the known group were 5.4 times more likely to develop a pressure injury than the intervention group. Findings suggest that applying a protective sacral dressing with a low shear backing as part of a simple standardised prevention injury prevention regime commencing in the Emergency Department was beneficial in the prevention of pressure injury in older 'at high risk' medical patients.
MRCNA, Learning and Development Unit, Calvary Health Care ACT, Bruce, Australia Wound Management and Quality Support, Calvary Health Care ACT, Bruce, Australia Research Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, Australian National University, Medical School, Woden, Australia.
Katrina
K
Cubit
Bernadette
B
McNally
Violeta
V
Lopez
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001458:Bandages; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012447:Sacrum; D012825:Silicon
D012825:Silicon