title: Pressure ulcer prevention in patients with advanced illness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pressure ulcers can be challenging to prevent, particularly in patients with advanced illnesses. This review summarizes the relevant literature since 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through a MEDLINE and CINAHL database search from January 1, 2011 to June 1, 2012, a total of 14 abstracts were found addressing the prevention of pressure ulcers in persons with advanced illness. Search terms included pressure ulcer, prevention, and control. Advanced illness was defined as patients transitioning from curative to supportive and palliative care. Ten original studies and four review articles specifically addressed pressure ulcer prevention. There were four articles that specifically addressed patients with advanced illness. The studies varied in quality. One systematic review, one randomized controlled trial, three prospective trials, two retrospective trials, one cost-effectiveness analysis, one quality improvement project, one comparative descriptive design, and four review articles were found. The interventions for pressure ulcer prevention were risk assessment, repositioning, surface selection, nutritional support and maintenance of skin integrity with or without incontinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The quality of pressure ulcer prevention studies in persons with advanced illness is poor. Increased number and higher quality studies are needed to further investigate this important topic for these fragile patients.
authors: Wound Healing Center, Department of Medicine, Hebrew Senior Life, Boston, MA 02131, USA. foywhitechu@hsl.harvard.edu
authors: E Foy
authors: EF
authors: White-Chu
authors: Madhuri
authors: M
authors: Reddy
mesh_terms: D001513:Beds / Q000592:standards; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D006801:Humans; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*