Prevention of Pressure Ulcers in the Acute Care Setting: New Innovations and Technologies

Abstract

Pressure ulcers (PUs) challenge many in the healthcare field requiring costly and complex care. PUs result from prolonged ischemia and subsequent soft-tissue injury caused by unrelieved pressure over a bony prominence. Proper risk assessment and implementation of prevention strategies for PUs are crucial to providing comprehensive care while reducing healthcare costs. The emphasis has led to the expansion of research in PU prevention technologies in the recent years. The aim of this review is to present an evidence-based summary of some of the new innovations in PU prevention. A literature search was performed. Articles were included if the article discussed the cost, prevalence, assessment, diagnosis, and/or prevention of PUs. The literature search was limited to 2013 to 2016. A total of 1393 potential studies were identified using the search criteria. Three hundred fifty-three articles were reviewed and when possible, preference for inclusion was given to those studies with a higher level of evidence or those discussing novel ideas/innovations. The summary of topics explored includes the following: the use of risk assessment scales as an adjunct in risk identification, the benefit of alternative support surfaces to aid in prevention as compared with standard hospital mattresses, effective repositioning strategies, silicone prophylactic dressing for shear reduction, microclimate control, nutritional considerations, use of electrical stimulation for spinal cord injury patients, and the importance of patient participation.