Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Adults With Prone Positioning Using Manual Method Versus Specialty Bed: A...

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Patient Safety
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are a significant concern in critically ill patients.
• Prone positioning is a key intervention for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but it carries risks, including pressure injuries.
• Specialty beds aim to facilitate prone positioning and potentially mitigate associated complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of HAPIs in ARDS patients managed with manual prone positioning versus specialty bed-assisted prone positioning.
• To evaluate the secondary outcome of mortality rates between these two prone positioning methods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of electronic medical records for 160 ARDS patients.
• Data collection included HAPI development, mortality, length of stay, oxygenation status, and COVID-19 infection.
• Statistical analysis using Chi-square tests to compare outcomes between manual and specialty bed prone positioning groups.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in HAPI incidence was observed between manual prone positioning and specialty bed use (P = .9567).
• Deep-tissue pressure injuries were the most frequent type of HAPI.
• Mortality rates were significantly higher in patients managed with manual prone positioning (80.19%) compared to those using a specialty bed (58.18%) (P = .003).

Conclusions:

• The method of prone positioning (manual vs. specialty bed) did not influence the rate of hospital-acquired pressure injuries in ARDS patients.
• Specialty beds for prone positioning may be associated with improved survival outcomes in ARDS patients.