ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: Medical adhesives are typically used to fix wound dressings and catheters in place. Medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI) are frequently caused by repetitive or improper usage of these products. The incidence rate in this unit is as high as 12.5%, which increases the difficulty and cost of care. After analysis of the situation, we identified the main causes of MARSI in our unit as: (1) Inadequate use of medical-adhesive products, (2) Lack of relevant education and training to prevent MARSI, and (3) lack of a standardized skin-damage-care procedure. PURPOSE: To decrease the incidence of MARSI in the pediatric intensive care unit. RESOLUTIONS: A training program was enacted to teach proper medical-adhesive application and removal techniques to caregivers. Consensus on care procedures was reached and care standards were modified. A mechanism for quality control was established. RESULTS: After implementing the program, the incidence of MARSI dropped from 12.5% to 5.18%, which achieved the target of this project. CONCLUSIONS: Other caregivers at our institution remain unaware of MARSI prevention techniques and protocols. We plan to continue cooperating with other staff members to prevent MARSI and to continue to reduce related skin injuries to as close to nil as possible.
