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Pressure sores in an intensive care unit and related variables: a descriptive study
Insights
Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are more motivated to prevent pressure sores when visible damage is present than by risk scores. Daily use of the Waterlow pressure sore risk calculator aids nurses in identifying risks and guiding prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Patient Safety
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Pressure sores negatively impact patient outcomes, especially in intensive care units (ICUs) due to prolonged immobility.
- The Waterlow pressure sore risk calculator is a tool for predicting and preventing pressure sore development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess pressure sore prevalence in an ICU.
- To examine the relationship between risk factors, preventive measures, and actual pressure sore development.
- To understand nursing motivation in implementing preventive actions.
Main Methods:
- A prevalence study was conducted in an ICU.
- Data collected included pressure sore stage, Waterlow risk score, and preventive measures used.
- Analysis focused on prevalence variation, risk-stage correlation, and nurse motivation.
Main Results:
- Pressure sore prevalence varied significantly during the study period.
- A correlation was found between pressure sore stage and the risk of development.
- Nurses showed greater motivation for prevention when visible damage was present compared to risk factor warnings.
Conclusions:
- Point prevalence measurements are unreliable for assessing the overall pressure sore problem in ICUs.
- Daily application of the Waterlow pressure sore risk calculator helps nurses identify specific risks.
- This tool assists nurses in determining the appropriate frequency and methods for pressure sore precautions.
Abstract:
The development of pressure sores is associated with negative patient outcome. Patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) are particularly prone to developing pressure sores, caused by severe illness and being immobile for long periods. A method to prevent the development of pressure sores is to use the Waterlow pressure sore risk calculator as a warning device, followed by appropriate action. A prevalence study on pressure sores was conducted in the ICU, where the following variables were noted for each patient admitted: pressure sore stage on sacrum or buttocks, the Waterlow pressure sore risk score, and the number and kind of preventive measures taken by the nursing staff. The results show that the prevalence of pressure sores varies greatly over the study period, that a relationship exists between the pressure sore stage and the risk of developing a pressure sore and that nurses are more motivated to take pressure sore precautions based on the visible damage due to pressure than by the warning provided by the presence of specific risk factors. It is concluded that point prevalence measurement does not give reliable information about the pressure sore problem in general in an ICU and that daily measurement of the risk of developing pressure sores with the Waterlow pressure sore risk calculator helps nurses to indicate specific risk factors and assists them with decisions on the frequency and method of pressure sore precautions to be taken.