Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2025
Maintenance of a Lateral Fluid Percussion Injury Device
Published on: April 21, 2023
Medical device-related pressure injuries in paediatric patients: An incidence study in a children's hospital
Zümrüt Başbakkal1, Hatice Bal Yilmaz1, Merve Gümüş1
1Department of Pediatric Nursing, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
Insights
Medical devices caused pressure injuries in 6.8% of pediatric patients, highlighting a significant issue in intensive care units. This underscores the need for enhanced prevention strategies and training for healthcare professionals.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Medical Device Safety
- Nursing Research
Background:
- Medical devices are essential in pediatric care but pose a risk of pressure injuries.
- Pressure injuries can affect skin and soft tissues, leading to complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of pressure injuries caused by medical devices in children.
- To identify the most common medical devices associated with pressure injuries in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, descriptive study following STROBE guidelines.
- Conducted in a tertiary-level Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Türkiye.
- Monitored 522 medical devices in 96 pediatric patients (1 month to 18 years) using Braden scales and a monitoring form.
Main Results:
- The most frequent devices were ECG probes (21%), blood pressure cuffs (16%), and saturation probes.
- A total of 36 out of 522 medical devices (6.8%) resulted in pressure injuries.
- The incidence of medical device-related pressure injuries was found to be high.
Conclusions:
- Medical device-related pressure injuries represent a significant healthcare problem in pediatric settings.
- There is a critical need for effective training and implementation strategies for pediatric nurses.
- Accelerating awareness and educational activities for healthcare professionals is essential for prevention.
Aim:
To determine the incidence of pressure injuries from medical devices in children.
Background:
Medical devices can cause pressure injuries on skin and soft tissues.
Design:
A prospective, descriptive study adhering to STROBE guidelines.
Methods:
This study was conducted in the third-level Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of Ege University Hospital in İzmir, Türkiye between April 2019 and October 2019 in Türkiye. Patients aged between 1 month and 18 years with medical devices were observed for pressure injuries using Braden scales and a specific monitoring form.
Results:
In this study, we followed 522 medical devices applied to 96 patients. The three most commonly used medical devices were the ECG probe (21%), the blood pressure cuff (16%) and the saturation probe. Out of the 522 medical devices followed, 36 caused pressure injuries (6.8%).
Conclusion:
The incidence of medical device-related pressure injuries was found to be high. Effective training and implementation strategies need to be devised for paediatric nurses to prevent pressure injuries associated with medical devices.
Relevance To Clinical Practice:
The results of this study reveal that pressure injuries related to medical devices are an important health problem in paediatric hospitals. Therefore, awareness-raising and educational activities among health professionals and nurses should be accelerated.
Patient Or Public Contribution:
No patient or public contribution in the study.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:21Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...