Utilizing Bedside Visual Feedback to Enhance Effective Repositioning of Patients for the Prevention and Healing of Pressure Ulcers

Purpose/Problem

Health care professionals are challenged to effectively reposition patients to redistribute areas of high pressure to prevent the development of pressure ulcers (PU) and alleviate pressure from existing PUs to enhance healing. Without feedback to know what real-time pressure exists under a patient at any point in time, staff are unable to determine whether their repositioning is effective.

Objective

A bedside pressure mapping (BPM) system* was implemented at a long-term care facility to provide staff with visual feedback of real-time pressure and confirmation of lower pressures after repositioning patients, in order to determine if PU incidence can be reduced and PU healing enhanced.

Outcomes

A geriatric female was admitted with a PU and a medical history that complicated wound healing and predisposed her to further PUs. The interdisciplinary team continued to monitor her nutrition, mobility, and wound care to promote wound healing. Despite careful attention to these areas, wound healing continued to be slow and complex. Two months later, the BPM system was added to her plan of care to allow for more precise positioning and redistribution of weight through the visualization of pressure points.  After three weeks using the BPM system, the patient’s PU closed completely.

Conclusions

The BPM system gives caregivers the visual feedback to effectively reposition long-term care patients.  The caregivers are now actively engaged with patient repositioning as they can visualize real-time pressure points and position patients more precisely.  In this case, the BPM system’s visual feedback contributed to enhanced PU healing.