Abstract Text: WOC Nurses are challenged to find new and innovative interventions to help reduce the risk of pressure ulcer development. This risk is especially high in patients within our Intensive Care Units. The role of extrinsic factors in the occurence of pressure ulcers historically has not been at the forefront with clinicians for pressure ulcer prevention. The purpose of our study was to determine if the incidence rates of sacral hospital acquired pressure ulcers in patients in ICU units were reduced through the use of a preventative dressing for identified high risk patients. This study was a convenience sample of 657 admitted or transferred patients for a four-month period in three ICU units. The quantitative quasi-experimental design with the use of a control group used the soft silicone self-adherent bordered foam dressing as an independent variable. The use of this dressing in the intervention group resulted in a hospital acquired sacral pressure ulcer incidence rate of 0.00% as compared to a hospital acquired sacral pressure ulcer incidence rate of 0.53% in the control group. Our replication study differed from Brindle,C.Tod (2010) in that we expanded the data to include patient outcomes not only upon discharge from the ICU, but also at discharge from hospitalization. The interventional dressing was discontinued upon discharge from the ICU. This group (with discontinued dressings on discharge from the ICU) had an increase hospital acquired sacral pressure ulcer incidence rate of 4.76% upon discharge from the hospital. Our findings were that many of the high risk factors associated with pressure ulcers were not completely captured in the Braden Scale ie age, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressors. We conclude the soft silicone dressing in combination with pressure ulcer prevention modalities may aid in the prevention of hospital acquired pressure ulcers in high-risk patients in the ICU setting.
![[ Visit WOCN Website ]](images/banner.jpg)