Pressure ulcers are a serious risk for all bedridden patients, particularly the elderly. Ideally, assessing the patient's risk for developing pressure ulcers before the ulcers occur is the most effective way to mitigate risk. The quantitative analysis by Freitas & Alberti (2013) was designed to determine if one of the most commonly-used assessment tools, the Braden Scale, was a useful method of assessing a patient's risk for pressure ulcers in a home-based setting. The literature review of the article discusses the evolution of the scale which evaluates the patient based upon the following factors: the patient's sensory perception; levels of moisture; patient's activity level; patient mobility; ability to take nutrition; and finally, friction and shear on a scale from 1-5 for measures 1-4 and on friction and shear from 1-3 (Freitas & Alberti 2013). The lower the point value, the higher the risk of developing pressure ulcers. Some studies have indicated that patients in a home environment are often at particularly high risk (an estimated 70.2%) but the literature suggests that there is a need to further clarify the validity of the scale in home-based settings (Freitas & Alberti 2013). The study framework used was that of a prospective cohort study of 183 patients in a home-based setting in Brazil. The Braden Scale was used to evaluate the patients over the course of six monthly home visits for six months. Based upon the patient scores, the Braden scale was deemed to be effective in predicting pressure ulcers....
The incident rate of pressure ulcers in the study was 20% and patients with higher Braden Scale scores were more likely to develop them (Freitas & Alberti 2013). More women than men were involved in the program, as expected given women's grater longevity than men as a whole; no differences regarding patient race or other demographic information were found to affect results. The main impact was noted in terms of cognitive impairment: no patients with cognitive impairments developed pressure ulcers. This was again expected given the extent to which cognitive capacity can affect an individual's ability to move.
Role of Staff Education in Pressure Ulcer Incidence in Long-Term Care Residents Pressure ulcers (PUs), also known as bed sores, decubitus ulcers, or pressure sores, are formed where skin and tissue are squeezed between bone and an outside surface for long periods of time, often due to immobility ("Pressure Ulcer," 2002). The development of PUs is a common problem in long-term care of the elderly. A recent report by a national
Summary of Common and Conflicting Findings Hart, Bergquist, Gajewski & Dunton (2006); Gunningberg (2005); Wipke-Tevis, Williams, Rantz, Popejoy, Madsen, Petroski & Vogelsmeier (2004); and Vanderwee, Grypdonck, DeBacquer & Defloor (2006) all indicate that pressure ulcers are unnecessarily common among patients in nursing care facilities. Pressure ulcers are generally defined as "lesions caused by unrelieved pressure, resulting in damage of underlying tissue," (Hart et al. 2006, p. 257). They occur mainly along
Otherwise, the resources are either short or unavailable. These situations tend to make gains in pressure ulcer care quickly vanish (Cuddigan et al.). Lastly, national records on pressure ulcer rates have remained incomplete and unreliable (Cuddigan et al. 2001). Hospital discharge records do not all reflect or include pressure ulcer cases even if the patients reach Stage III or IV. In addition, these records are unable to recognize and tally
Preventing Pressure Ulcers in Postoperative Patients this is a nursing research evidence-based practice project paper. THIS IS A NURSING PROJECT. SINGLE SPACE. 6 PAGES FOR THE PROJECT, 2 PAGES FOR THE LISTED INFO Directions: 1. You developed EVIDENCE-BASED NURSING PRACICE PROJECT (EBP). What are the best practices to prevent pressure ulcers in postoperative patients? This project aims at implementing evidence-based prevention strategies for pressure ulcers in postoperative patients. There are many risk factors associated
performing a clean and sterile technique wound dressing change. The term sterile refers to being free from microorganisms, making the sterile technique method one that reduces exposure to microorganisms in a comprehensive way. Sterile wound dressing changes would mean meticulous hand washing, the use of sterile field, use of sterile gloves, and sterile instruments (Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (Potter, et al., 2013; WOCN, 2012). The sterile techniques would
Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Evidence-Based Practice for Intervention Project Question: Can quarter hour turning and positioning minimize pressure ulcers within the elderly population who are bed bound residing in hospitals or nursing homes? The elderly often deal with various potential problems throughout their life, from pain and chronic disease, to harsh medication and treatment. Often elderly patients are forced to live in nursing homes and stay in hospitals to avoid accidental death and
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