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Journal of Tissue Viability Feb 2023Pressure ulcers cause significant, detrimental effects on personal wellbeing. They represent a serious health and social care burden. Nurses and those working in support...
BACKGROUND
Pressure ulcers cause significant, detrimental effects on personal wellbeing. They represent a serious health and social care burden. Nurses and those working in support roles are primarily accountable for preventing pressure ulcers. Healthcare support workers are an expanding group of key workers in the UK.
OBJECTIVE
To examine healthcare support workers' knowledge and attitudes regarding pressure ulcer prevention.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to June 2021, using Knowledge and Attitudes toward Pressure Ulcer Prevention Assessment Tool.
RESULTS
A total of 164 participants completed the questionnaire fully. A low mean knowledge score of 0.42 ± 0.14, but a positive attitude score of 0.76 ± 0.10 per item were reported. The weakest areas of knowledge include aetiology, risk assessment and addressing pressure-reducing interventions for patients at risk. Higher mean scores per item in knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention were reported in participants working in acute hospital wards and nursing homes (0.468 ± 0.15, 0.47 ± 0.08 respectively) than those in other settings (p < 0.05). Participants working in primary care scored lowest (0.33 ± 0.12). The scores of participants with more positive attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention significantly correlated with higher score of knowledge (p < 0.005).
CONCLUSION
While positive attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention exist among healthcare support workers, this is overshadowed by significant knowledge deficits. Findings highlight the importance of continuing structured education for support workers across both acute and community settings. A future national survey and interventional study are needed to examine support workers' pressure ulcer knowledge and to inform a national continuous education strategy.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pressure Ulcer; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Allied Health Personnel; United Kingdom
PubMed: 36464578
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtv.2022.11.004 -
Wound Management & Prevention Aug 2019Existing evidence is inadequate to assume increased skin temperature is a risk factor for the development of pressure ulcers (PUs).
UNLABELLED
Existing evidence is inadequate to assume increased skin temperature is a risk factor for the development of pressure ulcers (PUs).
PURPOSE
The purpose of this prospective, descriptive study was to examine the relationship between sacral skin temperature and PU development.
METHODS
Using convenience sampling methods, patients who were hospitalized in the tertiary intensive care unit (ICU) of the internal medicine department of a university hospital in İzmir, Turkey, between April and December 2015 were eligible to participate if they were ⟩18 years of age, had an expected hospital stay of at least 5 days, a Braden score ≤12, and were admitted without a PU. Demographic and clinical data collected included age, gender, body mass index, diagnosis, mattress type, length of follow-up (days), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body temperature, hemoglobin level, sacral skin temperatures in the supine and lateral positions, room temperature, PU stage and duration, and Braden score. Temperature was measured the day of hospitalization as a baseline measurement (day 1) and once every day thereafter up to 22 days, until the patient did or did not develop a PU, died, was no longer undergoing position change, or was discharged. Sacral skin temperature was taken immediately after the patient was moved to a lateral position following 120 minutes of supine position (referred to as sacral skin temperature measurement) and after 30 minutes in lateral position (referred to as sacral skin temperature measurement). Data were collected using paper-and-pencil questionnaires and entered into a software program for analysis. Descriptive statistics, Student's test, one-way analysis of variance test, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis, and Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis were used for data analysis.
RESULTS
Of the 37 patients who met the inclusion criteria and were monitored for at least 5 days, 21 (56.8%) developed PUs. No statistically significant difference in supine position sacral skin temperature on day 1 or day 5 was found between patients who did and did not develop a PU (36.90° C ± 0.29° C and 37.15° C ± 0.53° C, respectively, on day 1; = -1.656, = .112; and 37.37° C ± 0.53° C and 37.30° C ± 0.79° C, respectively, on day 5; = 0.259, = .798). Day 5 lateral position skin temperatures also did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (37.44° C ± 0.44° C and 37.31° C ± 0.75° C, respectively; = 1.306, = .621). A statistically significant difference was noted between mean sacral skin temperature in the supine position among patients ages 75 to 90 years compared with patients 38 to 64 years and 65 to 74 years (36.93° C ± 0.39° C; F = 13.221, = .000) and with use of a viscoelastic mattress compared with an alternating pressure air mattress and continuous lateral rotation alternating pressure air mattress (37.85° C ± 0.54° C; F = 14.039, = .000). No statistically significant differences in sacral skin temperatures were found for any of the of the other variables assessed.
CONCLUSION
Sacral skin temperatures were not statistically different between ICU patients who did and did not develop a PU. Additional research may help increase understanding of the relationship between skin temperature and PU development.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pressure Ulcer; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sacrococcygeal Region; Skin Temperature; Turkey
PubMed: 31373568
DOI: No ID Found -
International Wound Journal Dec 2020We report incidence rates for pressure injuries seen in an acute hospital in Singapore that were classified as Stage 3 or Stage 4. The characteristics of patients and...
We report incidence rates for pressure injuries seen in an acute hospital in Singapore that were classified as Stage 3 or Stage 4. The characteristics of patients and the factors that explain variation in the primary outcome of duration of hospital stay are summarized. Existing data were available from Singapore General Hospital for all admissions from January 2016 to December 2019. Univariable analysis was done and a multivariable Poisson regression model estimated. Incidence rates declined from 4.05 to 3.4 per 1000 admissions in the 48 months between 2016 and 2019. The vast majority were community acquired with 75% in admission from the patients' home. Factors that explain variation in length of stay were, ethnicity; site of injury; community versus healthcare associated; inter-hospital transfer; fracture as reason for admission; and the number of days between admission and assessment of wound by specialist nurse. Stage 3 and 4 injuries arise in a home environment most often and are subsequently managed in acute hospital at high cost. These are novel epidemiological data from a hospital in the tropics where the potential to improve outcomes, implement screening and prevention, and thus increase the performance of health services is strong.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Incidence; Length of Stay; Male; Middle Aged; Pressure Ulcer; Singapore
PubMed: 32720433
DOI: 10.1111/iwj.13448 -
BMC Geriatrics Dec 2022The Long-Term Care Insurance Act in the Republic of Korea has enabled the elderly population to receive benefits through the long-term care system since July 2008....
BACKGROUND
The Long-Term Care Insurance Act in the Republic of Korea has enabled the elderly population to receive benefits through the long-term care system since July 2008. Because one nurse or nursing assistant is assigned to 25 elderly persons and one care worker is assigned to 2.5 elderly persons in long-term care facilities, registered nurses should educate care workers to participate in pressure ulcer prevention activities. This descriptive study investigated the effect of the knowledge and attitude related to pressure ulcer prevention on care performance.
METHODS
Data were collected from February 20 to December 15, 2021 using a structured questionnaire targeting 165 care workers in four long-term care facilities located in I-city and Y-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The questionnaires of the knowledge, attitude, and care performance developed for nurses were modified to survey the care workers. The content validity was verified on a 4-point scale by 10 clinical experts. A preliminary survey was conducted for 30 care workers, and the contents of the modified questionnaire were further revised. Data analyses were performed by t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and a multiple linear regression modeling using the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program.
RESULTS
Care performance on pressure ulcer prevention had a significant positive correlation with knowledge (r = 0.692, p < .001), attitude (r = 0.426, p < .001), work experience (r = 0.760, p < .001), amount of experience (r = 0.712, p < .001), and the number of training sessions received (r = 0.551, p < .001). In multiple regression modeling, work experience (β [standardized coefficient beta] = 0.534, p = .000), knowledge (β = 0.323, p = .000), and attitude (β = 0.103, p = .049) related to pressure ulcer prevention were identified as variables significantly affecting care performance. The regression model explained 65.4% with 5 independent variables.
CONCLUSION
To prevent bedsores in long-term care facilities, it is necessary to educate care workers regularly about pressure ulcer prevention. In addition, clinical guidelines could help standardize the pressure ulcer prevention work of caregivers, strongly regulating their practice in all long-term care facilities and monitoring bedsore prevention regularly.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Pressure Ulcer; Long-Term Care; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Nursing Homes; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 36544097
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03702-3 -
Nursing Outlook 2024The high burden of pressure ulcers (PUs) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), coupled with the limited resources, underscores the need for preventive and context-specific... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The high burden of pressure ulcers (PUs) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), coupled with the limited resources, underscores the need for preventive and context-specific treatment strategies.
PURPOSE
Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to establish and elucidate PU prevention and treatment interventions tested in SSA.
METHODS
This systematic review of the literature used, PRISMA to guide the search.
FINDINGS
The review identified nine studies on PU prevention (three) and treatment (six). Low-cost interventions assembled from locally available materials and multifaceted policies significantly prevented and treated PUs. The interventions included wound dressing agents, simple negative pressure suction devices that significantly treated PUs, and water-based bed surfaces.
DISCUSSION
There were gaps in the interventions that have been proven successful in other global settings.
CONCLUSION
In SSA, there is a need for nurses to tailor, test, and disseminate findings from evidence-based projects for PU prevention that have been successful in similar settings.
Topics: Pressure Ulcer; Humans; Africa South of the Sahara; Female; Male; Adult; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38490058
DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102151 -
International Wound Journal Dec 2021The objective of this evidence-based review was to explore whether the evidence supports the use of nutritional supplements in pressure ulcer (PU) prevention strategies.... (Review)
Review
The objective of this evidence-based review was to explore whether the evidence supports the use of nutritional supplements in pressure ulcer (PU) prevention strategies. Several electronic databases, including Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to May week 32 019), Ovid EMBASE (1947 to May 28, 2019), EBSCO CINAHL (until June 13, 2019), Scopus (until July 9, 2019), and the Web of Science (until June 13, 2019) were searched. No limitation was placed on the year of publication. Studies considered for inclusion were those with adult populations, and only English language texts with available full text were reviewed. AMSTAR (a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies included in the systematic review. The Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 Levels of Evidence was used to assess the level of evidence. Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Instrument (AGREE II) was used to assess guideline article, and Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) was also used for cross-sectional studies. The search identified 1761 studies. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 studies were retained of various designs, including 10 systematic reviews, five clinical reviews, three randomised controlled trials, two observational studies, one quasi-experimental study, one cross-sectional study, one cohort study, and one Clinical Guideline. Two were rated as high-quality reviews, 14 were rated as moderate-quality reviews, five were rated as low-quality reviews, and three were rated as critically low-quality reviews. The majority of the reviewed studies were of low-to-moderate quality because of biases in the study design and incomplete data reporting, which did not fulfil the reporting criteria of the appraisal tools. However, the majority of the studies showed a reduction in PU incidence after nutritional supplement though not significant. Whether the use of pharmacological appraisal tools to assess non-pharmacological studies is appropriate is unclear. Regardless of the low-to-moderate quality of the studies in this review, nutritional supplements appear to play a role in PU prevention.
Topics: Adult; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Pressure Ulcer; Skin Care
PubMed: 34528752
DOI: 10.1111/iwj.13584 -
Journal of Wound Care Aug 2019Wound care experts at the 2019 EWMA conference described the need to adopt biofilm-based wound care, the case for silver dressings, the importance of early intervention...
Wound care experts at the 2019 EWMA conference described the need to adopt biofilm-based wound care, the case for silver dressings, the importance of early intervention and the benefits of effective antibiofilm technologies. , chief sub editor, summarises the main points.
Topics: Bandages; Biofilms; Humans; Pressure Ulcer; Wound Healing
PubMed: 31393795
DOI: 10.12968/jowc.2019.28.8.524 -
Machine learning-based prediction models for pressure injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International Wound Journal Dec 2023Despite the fact that machine learning (ML) algorithms to construct predictive models for pressure injury development are widely reported, the performance of the model... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Despite the fact that machine learning (ML) algorithms to construct predictive models for pressure injury development are widely reported, the performance of the model remains unknown. The goal of the review was to systematically appraise the performance of ML models in predicting pressure injury. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, Grey literature and other databases were systematically searched. Original journal papers were included which met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). Meta-analysis was performed with Metadisc software, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity and specificity as effect measures. Chi-squared and I tests were used to assess the heterogeneity. A total of 18 studies were included for the narrative review, and 14 of them were eligible for meta-analysis. The models achieved excellent pooled AUC of 0.94, sensitivity of 0.79 (95% CI [0.78-0.80]) and specificity of 0.87 (95% CI [0.88-0.87]). Meta-regressions did not provide evidence that model performance varied by data or model types. The present findings indicate that ML models show an outstanding performance in predicting pressure injury. However, good-quality studies should be conducted to verify our results and confirm the clinical value of ML in pressure injury development.
Topics: Humans; Pressure Ulcer; Sensitivity and Specificity; ROC Curve; Machine Learning; Software
PubMed: 37340520
DOI: 10.1111/iwj.14280 -
European Journal of Medical Research Feb 2023Patients who have undergone vascular operations are thought to be at an increased risk for developing pressure injuries; however, the extent to which pressure injuries... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Patients who have undergone vascular operations are thought to be at an increased risk for developing pressure injuries; however, the extent to which pressure injuries occur in this population is not clear. This scoping review sought to summarize what is known about the incidence of pressure injuries, and the risk factors for the development of pressure injuries in patients who have undergone vascular operations. MAIN: An initial search identified 2564 articles, and 9 English language studies were included. Results showed that due to study design limitations in the available literature preventing hospital-acquired and present on admission pressure injuries to be distinguished, it is difficult to ascertain the incidence rate of pressure injuries in this population.
CONCLUSION
Certain vascular procedures were found to be higher risk for the development of pressure injuries such as major amputations and lower extremity bypass surgery. In addition to procedural risk factors, patient factors were identified that may be associated with the development of pressure injuries in the vascular population, and these in the authors' view deserve further exploration. Overall, this scoping review identified an area ripe for future research, the results of which would have implications for wound care in healthcare institutions and at home.
Topics: Humans; Incidence; Pressure Ulcer; Vascular Surgical Procedures; Risk Factors; Hospitalization; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36782315
DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01036-3 -
Advances in Skin & Wound Care May 2023Stage 3 and 4 pressure injuries (PIs) present an enormous societal burden with no clearly defined interventions for surgical reconstruction. The authors sought to... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Stage 3 and 4 pressure injuries (PIs) present an enormous societal burden with no clearly defined interventions for surgical reconstruction. The authors sought to assess, via literature review and a reflection/evaluation of their own clinical practice experience (where applicable), the current limitations to the surgical intervention of stage 3 or 4 PIs and propose an algorithm for surgical reconstruction.
METHODS
An interprofessional working group convened to review and assess the scientific literature and propose an algorithm for clinical practice. Data compiled from the literature and a comparison of institutional management were used to develop an algorithm for the surgical reconstruction of stage 3 and 4 PIs with adjunctive use of negative-pressure wound therapy and bioscaffolds.
RESULTS
Surgical reconstruction of PI has relatively high complication rates. The use of negative-pressure wound therapy as adjunctive therapy is beneficial and widespread, leading to reduced dressing change frequency. The evidence for the use of bioscaffolds both in standard wound care and as an adjunct to surgical reconstruction of PI is limited. The proposed algorithm aims to reduce complications typically seen with this patient cohort and improve patient outcomes from surgical intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
The working group has proposed a surgical algorithm for stage 3 and 4 PI reconstruction. The algorithm will be validated and refined through additional clinical research.
Topics: Humans; Pressure Ulcer; Surgical Wound Infection; Crush Injuries
PubMed: 37079788
DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000922708.95424.88