Introduction
Despite the vast research made in the field, pressure ulcers still remain the problem in all hospital settings. Also known as bedsores or decubitus ulcers, these are areas of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue (McInnes et al., 2015). Without appropriate treatment, pressure ulcers can develop into chronic wounds that may occur after healing; that is why this issue requires close monitoring and timely medical intervention. Moreover, it is essential to develop prevention strategies for injuries in order to avoid possible negative consequences. Apart from the damage to the patient’s health, pressure ulcers impose a financial burden on health facilities (Demarré et al., 2015). According to the studies, the costs associated with pressure ulcer treatment are substantially higher than the costs of prevention measures implementation (Demarré et al., 2015). Taking into consideration the negative impact of the disease on the patient’s health state, and the hospital’s budget, the issue of pressure ulcer prevention deserves special attention. It should be noted that patients at rehabilitation settings are at high risk, and the problem of ulcer prevention here should receive even more consideration.
Search History
For the paper, the Google Scholar database was utilized to search for appropriate and reliable sources. To facilitate the process, keywords were used, such as ‘pressure’, ‘ulcer’, ‘hospital’, ‘prevention’, ‘wound’. It was also helpful to use synonyms for the terms, such as ‘bedsore,’ ‘decubitus ulcers,’ ‘avoidance.’ The number of articles found on the topic was large; however, not all of them were included in the work. One of the reasons why some of the articles were excluded is the date of publication. For this literature review, only recent issues were used, which were published not earlier than five years from now (2020). Another criterion was the credibility of a source; that is why articles from unreliable journals were not included in the work. Furthermore, the search was limited to the articles, originally written in the English language, or the ones that were translated into English. As such, three of the most suitable scholarly articles were selected for the paper.
Integration of Evidence
In the review, the evidence is integrated to support the thesis.
Theme I
First of all, prevention of pressure ulcers is required due to their danger to the patient’s health. Among the possible negative impact of the disease are the risks of complications and recurrence.
Theme II
Another reason why the issue should be considered is connected with the financial costs of decubitus ulcer treatment. Studies show that it may be cheaper to develop preventive strategies than to treat these injuries.
Theme III
This part of the review is dedicated to nurses’ role in the management and prevention of bedsores. Nurses should be able to assess and patients’ risk of developing pressure ulcers as well as implement appropriate measures (Mitchell, 2018). It is crucial that medical workers have the necessary knowledge about the disease in order to implement effective treatment.
Critique of Evidence
The evidence provided in this paper can be criticized by other researchers.
Gaps in Evidence
This problem requires further consideration, as there are certain gaps in evidence.
Comparison to Your Own Practice
According to my personal experience, bedsores pose a threat to the patient’s health state in many cases. Hence, preventive measures should be adopted to lower the risk of health complications and relapse.
Conclusion
All in all, the prevention of pressure ulcers is still a burning issue for many health settings. This disease influences the patient’s health in a negative way and may cause various complications. Moreover, some practitioners note that the injuries tend to reoccur after the healing. Apart from health damage, bedsores are associated with financial costs. It is noteworthy that it may be more expensive to treat the PUs than to prevent it. Hence, the importance of the development of preventive measures should not be disregarded. Nurses also play a central role in assessing the risk of bedsores development, and they should possess the necessary competencies to identify the problem and start an effective treatment.
References
Demarré, L., Van Lancker, A., Van Hecke, A., Verhaeghe, S., Grypdonck, M., Lemey, J., & Beeckman, D. (2015). The cost of prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers: a systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 52(11), 1754-1774.
McInnes, E., Jammali‐Blasi, A., Bell‐Syer, S. E., Dumville, J. C., Middleton, V., & Cullum, N. (2015). Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9).
Mitchell, A. (2018). Adult pressure area care: preventing pressure ulcers. British Journal of Nursing, 27(18), 1050-1052.