Practice recommendations for preventing heel pressure ulcers

Heels are the second most common anatomical location for pressure ulcers. A combination of risk factors, including pressure, may cause ulceration. Heel pressure ulcers are a particular concern for surgical patients. A review of the literature, including poster presentations, shows that controlled clinical studies to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of available interventions are not available. Case series (with or without historical controls) as well as pressure ulcer guideline recommendations suggest the most important aspect of heel ulcer prevention is pressure relief (offloading). It also has been documented that the incidence of heel ulcers can be reduced using a total-patient care approach and heel offloading devices. Guidelines, observational studies, and expert opinion intimate that reducing heel ulceration rates can be expected to improve patient outcomes, decrease costs associated with their care, and avoid costs related to hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. The heel pressure ulcer prevention strategies reviewed should be implemented until the results of prospective, randomized controlled studies to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these strategies are available.