Pressure injury prevention strategies in Sri Lankan nursing homes: A prospective cohort study

A prospective cohort study was conducted to describe the current pressure injury (PI) prevention strategies in Sri Lankan nursing homes. A consecutive sample of 210 older residents (≥ 60 years) was recruited from nine nursing homes. Over twelve weeks, data on 19 PI prevention strategies were gathered using weekly semi-structured observations, self-report data, and chart audits. PI prevention strategies were summarised using descriptive statistics, and the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare two subsamples according to PI risk (at-risk vs not-at-risk) using the Braden scale. Of the 210 recruited participants, 62 (29.5 %) and 148 (70.5 %) were assessed as at-risk (Braden score 6-18) and not-at-risk (Braden score 19-23), respectively. Use of PI preventive strategies was not associated with the risk of PI (U = 5188.5, z = 1.49, p = 0.13). Most frequently used prevention strategies were skin care, continence management (for those who required it), and mobilisation. This study highlights a potential gap in targeted prevention efforts and underscores the need for improved risk-based clinical decision-making in PI prevention.