title: Preventing pressure ulcers in patients in intensive care.
abstract: This article discusses the prevention and management of pressure ulcers in intensive care. It outlines a service improvement project conducted in the intensive care units at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust with the aim of reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. The project introduced a set of 'essential standards' and an audit tool to monitor compliance. Implementation of the essential standards resulted in a reduction in the total number of pressure ulcers acquired in the four intensive care units, with an absence of any category 3 or 4 pressure ulcers (the most severe categories of pressure ulcer). The article describes the measures taken to ensure the sustainability and spread of the initiative within the NHS trust.
authors.affiliation: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, England.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gage
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Clinical audit; intensive care; intensive care unit; nursing care; patient care bundles; pressure ulcers; service improvement; tissue viability; wound care; wound management