[Reducing patient pressure sore incidence in the surgical intensive care unit]

Pressure ulcers were an increasingly significant problem among patients in the authors' ward. The eight patients diagnosed with pressure ulcers (0.42% of all inpatients) during the first half of 2009 represented a 140% increase over the first half of 2008 (0.28% of all inpatients).

This project was designed to reduce pressure ulcer incidence in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) to 0.05%.

Intervention measures included: 1) holding professional training on preventing pressure ulcers; 2) specifying appropriate patient turnover tools; 3) creating and distributing to nurses a proper turnover technique and positioning manual; 4) creating and distributing to nurses a comprehensive patient skin inspection checklist; and 5) organizing a permanent pressure ulcer care quality and audit committee.

Pressure ulcer incidence fell from 0.42% to 0.04% following implementation of the methods.

Results demonstrate the effectiveness of using the proposed methods to reduce pressure ulcer incidence and enhance nursing care quality.