Systematic review of the use of Statistical Process Control methods to measure the success of pressure ulcer prevention.

Successful prevention of pressure ulcers is the end product of a complex series of care processes including, but not limited to, the assessment of vulnerability to pressure damage; skin assessment and care; nutritional support; repositioning; and the use of beds, mattresses, and cushions to manage mechanical loads on the skin and soft tissues. The purpose of this review was to examine where and how Statistical Process Control (SPC) measures have been used to assess the success of quality improvement initiatives intended to improve pressure ulcer prevention. A search of 7 electronic bibliographic databases was performed on May 17th, 2017, for studies that met the inclusion criteria. SPC methods have been reported in 9 publications since 2010 to interpret changes in the incidence of pressure ulcers over time. While these methods offer rapid interpretation of changes in incidence than is gained from a comparison of 2 arbitrarily selected time points pre- and post-implementation of change, more work is required to ensure that the clinical and scientific communities adopt the most appropriate SPC methods.

Evidence-based guidelines for pressure ulcer management at the end of life.

It is important to develop an individualised plan of care for people at the end of life to prevent pressure ulcers, and to treat them if they do occur. This article discusses patient and risk assessment, prevention and care for pressure ulcers for the palliative care patient and the recommendations given in the palliative care section of the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Practice Guideline (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance, 2014).

Are community nurses prepared for wound debridement?

Debridement is an essential component of wound care. However, autolysis remains a frequently used method of debridement, despite recent recommendations from the European Wound Management Association and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Community nurses are recognised as front-line clinicians participating in debridement interventions. It is essential that community nurses are able to deliver the most appropriate debridement method regardless of their current skill set. This will require community nurses to revisit the evidence base for debridement, reflect on their current methods of debridement and expand their skill set when required. Guidance exists to ensure community nurses are able to offer appropriate and safe debridement to clients with non-viable tissue which is delaying the wound healing process.

Debridement--is it time to revisit clinical practice?

Debridement is the removal of non-viable tissue from a wound bed. It is an essential procedure in order to achieve wound healing and symptom control. The clinical presentation of non-viable tissue varies in content, appearance, depth and level of hydration. There may be a risk of systemic infection if non-viable tissue is not removed in a timely fashion. There are various methods of debridement each with its own advantages and limitations. The competence of the practitioner undertaking the debridement is crucial and is a key consideration along with availability of the necessary equipment and the provision of the optimal environment. Client choice and involvement are vital to the debridement process. There should be no hierarchy of debridement methods and the chosen method should achieve timely optimal pain-free removal of non-viable tissue. There is a need to question the current situation in which the specialist nurse is highly skilled in the debridement process while the generalist nurse potentially carries a higher caseload of patients who require this procedure.

Pressure ulcer prevalence across Welsh orthopaedic units and community hospitals: surveys based on the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel minimum data set.

The survey used the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) methodology for the collection of pressure ulcer prevalence data. The orthopaedic survey was conducted across all National Health Service Trusts in Wales between 2 and 6 July 2007 while the community hospital survey covering 25% of all community hospital beds was conducted between 21 April 2008 and 2 May 2008. Data were gathered upon 1196 patients (581, 48.6% within orthopaedic units with 615 located in community hospitals). Of these patients, 81 (13.9%) and 162 (26.7%) had pressure ulcers in orthopaedic and community hospitals, respectively. Where patients presented with multiple pressure ulcers, the most severe pressure ulcer was recorded. Across both surveys, most pressure ulcers were reported to be either category I or II with 91 category I wounds (33 in orthopaedic units and 58 in community hospitals). Severe (categories III and IV) pressure ulcers affected 78 patients (19 in orthopaedic units and 59 in community hospitals). Adoption of the EPUAP pressure ulcer prevalence methods can help achieve consistent data upon pressure ulcer prevalence in different health care organisations and specialities. The adoption of a consistent data collection capture methodology is a clear prerequisite for the compilation of meaningful pressure ulcer prevalence data sets at a national level.

Assessment of wound pain: overview and a new initiative.

All wounds have the potential to cause pain, and the nature of the pain varies with the type of wound. Many factors may exacerbate wound pain, including infection, trauma at dressing changes and poor technique when applying compression therapy. Failure to assess wound pain or inadequate pain assessment can cause the patient further anguish and extended suffering. Nurses caring for patients with painful wounds need to identify the source of the pain and exacerbating factors, and determine whether it has nocicoceptive and/or neuropathic elements in order to optimize pain management for the individual patient. This article examines the assessment of wound pain and introduces an initiative that has been developed to improve the assessment process. The 'Heal not Hurt' initiative is an excellent example of the profession and industry working together to implement best practice guidance in patient-centred pain-free wound care in clinical care.

Assessment of wound pain: overview and a new initiative.

All wounds have the potential to cause pain, and the nature of the pain varies with the type of wound. Many factors may exacerbate wound pain, including infection, trauma at dressing changes and poor technique when applying compression therapy. Failure to assess wound pain or inadequate pain assessment can cause the patient further anguish and extended suffering. Nurses caring for patients with painful wounds need to identify the source of the pain and exacerbating factors, and determine whether it has nocicoceptive and/or neuropathic elements in order to optimize pain management for the individual patient. This article examines the assessment of wound pain and introduces an initiative that has been developed to improve the assessment process. The 'Heal not Hurt' initiative is an excellent example of the profession and industry working together to implement best practice guidance in patient-centered pain-free wound care in clinical care.

The healing of amputation wounds.

This article discusses the anticipated healing of amputation wounds and highlights potential problems and actions in the pre- and post-amputation phases.

Guidance on pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention.

Pressure ulcers remain a problem throughout Europe, with prevalence figures ranging from 8.3 per cent to 22.9 per cent (Clark and deFlour, 2002). In 2001 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence issued a clinical guideline on pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention (NICE, 2001). However, this guidelines has recently been reissued with additional information on pressure-relieving devices (NICE, 2003a; NICE, 2003b).

The 30 degree tilt position vs the 90 degree lateral and supine positions in reducing the incidence of non-blanching erythema in a hospital inpatient population: a randomised controlled trial.

Manual repositioning of patients by nursing staff is a recognised technique for preventing pressure ulcer formation. The 30 degree tilt is a method of positioning patients that, in the laboratory setting, reduced the contact pressure between the patient and the support surface. A randomised controlled trial was used to examine the effects of the 30 degree tilt position in reducing the incidence of non-blanching erythema (i.e. established pressure damage) in a hospital inpatient population (n=23) when compared to the use of the 90 degree lateral and supine position (n=23). The primary outcome of the trial was the incidence of pressure damage, defined as non-blanching erythema. In this study no subject developed pressure damage that presented with visible breaks in the epidermis, but all damage was restricted to areas of non-blanching erythema (five of the 39 subjects who completed the study exhibited such injury). The main findings of this study were that patient positioning using the 30 degree tilt method did not reduce the incidence of pressure damage compared with either the 90 degree lateral or supine positions. This study also investigated the feasibility of using the 30 degree tilt position with medical inpatients; it found that 78% of subjects experienced difficulty in adopting and maintaining the position. This finding seriously questions the practicality of using the 30 degree tilt method with a predominantly ill population.

Improving pressure ulcer care through designer education.

In 2001, a tissue viability audit was undertaken within a medical directorate of an acute district general hospital. The audit highlighted deficiencies in the knowledge base of the staff and in the care given to prevent and manage pressure ulceration. As a result, the tissue viability nurse, head of nursing (medical directorate) and lecturer in tissue viability identified educational and service needs and developed a specifically designed education programme that integrated diploma- and degree-level study. Pre- and post-course questionnaires were designed to assess students' theoretical knowledge; this was combined with an assessment that focused on the implementation of the pressure ulcer prevention and management guidelines. The success of the programme was demonstrated by an increase in nurses' knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention and management. This positive outcome could not have been achieved without the willingness of the trust manager, tissue viability nurse and nurse educator to work together and support the development of this new initiative.

Tratamento de feridas: gerenciamento de enfermagem nos locais doadores e receptores de enxertos de pele / Wound healing: nursing procedures

O enxerto de pele é uma das técnicas mais comuns usadas na cirurgia plástica e reconstrutora. O paciente que se submete a um enxerto de pele de espessura-dividida pode apresentar uma série de problemas ao enfermeiro, no que se refere aos cuidados com os ferimentos. Os tópicos que poderiam ser abordados incluem: motivos para o enxerto; tipos de enxerto usado; cuidados pré-operatórios e pós-operatórios com os locais doadores e receptores; e os procedimentos gerais necessários para promover a cicatrizaçäo do ferimento e uma aquisiçäo bem-sucedida do enxerto pelo paciente.