Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda®
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment

The Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America (2005) defines pressure ulcers as lesions that appear due to unrelieved pressure that damages the underlying tissues. The author states that they result from the compression of soft tissues on bony regions or external surfaces. Whittington and Briones (2004), articulate that more than 1.5 million cases of pressure ulcers are reported annually in America. As a result, governments and health care providers have in the recent past acknowledged the fact that addressing and managing this ailment is not only necessary, but also important. However, despite the increased awareness campaigns, interest, and medical advancements in medicine, surgery, and nursing care, pressure ulcers have been declared as being among the major cause of mortality and morbidity. This is especially so in situations whereby patients are hospitalized for long periods or are in need of long-term care.

A study conducted indicated that pressure ulcers have an incidence rate of between 2.7% to 26% and a prevalence range of 3.5% to 69% among hospitalized patients. In regard to patients in the critical care units, the results showed that they were at risk with a 33% incidence rate and a 41% prevalence rate. Elderly patients admitted in hospitals after surgery had the highest risk as evidenced by the 66% incidence rate. Similarly, another study conducted in order to determine the prevalence rate of pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injuries and related conditions indicated that such persons were at a greater risk of getting pressure ulcers with an incidence rate of 25% to 66% (Whittington & Briones, 2004).

Economically, a study seeking to evaluate the hospital billing codes associated with pressure ulcers indicated that from 1993 to 2005, the number of people admitted due to these lesions had increased by 80% (Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America, 2005). Another study conducted in the United States indicated that pressure ulcers increased a financial burden of close to $1 billion in terms of expenditure and more than 2.2 million bed days in the Medicare program. The results also indicated that the treatment of a single ulcer costs $2000 to $40,000, and a reconstructive surgery to correct the damage caused by these ulcers amounted to an estimated $25, 000 per patient (Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America, 2005). Despite the evidence provided by numerous evident-based researches, little has been done to counter and/or mitigate the prevalence and incidence of these life threatening ulcers.

Proposed solutions and rationale

Arguably, the best solution for these ulcers is prevention. There are various interventions that can be implemented to achieve this goal. According to Whittington and Briones (2004), skin care is a viable preventive measure as it enables practitioners to maintain and improve the tolerance level of the skin of patients that have been identified as being at risk of getting these lesions. In addition, mechanical loading is also a good measure. Mechanical loading includes preventive interventions such as hourly repositioning of hospitalized patients at risk of getting pressure ulcers and placement of pillows and wedges in bony prominence areas to avoid friction (Clark, Hiskett and Russell, 2005). These measures will reduce the probability o an individual getting these ulcers.

Similarly, Clark, Hiskett and Russell (2005) recommend that people who have been identified as being at risk of getting these ulcers should be provided with support surfaces such as foam, gel, water and air bags, which act as effective pressure-reduction devices. In addition, the authors contend that health care providers should invest in creating awareness regarding the cause, impacts and prevention of pressure ulcers within and outside the hospital setting. This can be done by initiating training and retraining programs regarding these ulcers, distributing pamphlets and booklets that contain adequate and comprehensive information on pressure ulcers. These interventions will go a long way in promoting awareness and imparting knowledge on pressure ulcers, thereby enabling people to prevent and identify them before they get serious.

References

Clark, M., Hiskett, G., & Russell L. (2005). Evidence-based practice and support surfaces: are we throwing the baby out with the bath water? Journal of Wound Care, 14(10): 455-8.

Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America. (2005). Infection control and hospital epidemiology. Sydney: SLACK.

Whittington, K. T., & Briones R. (2004). National Prevalence and Incidence Study: 6-year sequential acute care data. Adv Skin Wound Care, 17(9):490-4.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, March 28). Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reduction-of-pressure-ulcers-prevalence-among-hospitalized-patients/

Work Cited

"Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients." IvyPanda, 28 Mar. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/reduction-of-pressure-ulcers-prevalence-among-hospitalized-patients/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients'. 28 March.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients." March 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reduction-of-pressure-ulcers-prevalence-among-hospitalized-patients/.

1. IvyPanda. "Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients." March 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reduction-of-pressure-ulcers-prevalence-among-hospitalized-patients/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Reduction of Pressure Ulcers Prevalence Among Hospitalized Patients." March 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reduction-of-pressure-ulcers-prevalence-among-hospitalized-patients/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1