Journal Articles

The prevention of medical-device related pressure ulcers in a Critical Care Unit

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The prevention of medical-device related pressure ulcers in a Critical Care Unit

Laura Herring, Margi Jenkins, Michaela Arrowsmith, Nicola Heywood, Stephanie Worthington
16 June 2022

This article explores medical-device related pressure ulcers (MDRPU) in an intensive care unit (ICU) at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH). The data presented outlines a reduction in PU of 66% over a 6-year period and a reduction in MDRPU of 50% over the same period. MDRPU were particularly challenging to prevent in ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic, where there were additional numbers of patients in the ICU with medical devices in place. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased number of patients in the ICU were nursed prone (face down), adding additional pressure on the facial structure, a range of measures were put in place to avoid those avoidable MDRPU in the ICU at the RUH. Measures focused on skin checking, offloading and rotation of devices, including endotracheal tubes, non-invasive ventilation, nasogastric (NG) and nasojejunal (NJ) tubes and catheters. A specific comfort and pressure care record was developed for ICU to record the assessments of these at risk areas.

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