PREVENTING HOSPITAL ACQUIRED PRESSURE ULCERS.
Preventing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.
Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are still evident in the current treatment systems in the hospitals despite the increased knowledge in the field of medicine. When the patients who seek medication end up having to contract pressure ulcers from the hospital, it brings about suffering on the part of the patient while increasing the medication costs to the family of the victim (Demarré, Lancker, Hecke, Verhaeghe, Grypdonck, Lemey & Beeckman, 2015). The victims of pressure ulcers may end up losing their lives while those who will continue living with it render less as compared to what they used to offer in terms of human resource power.
Incidents of ulcers are reported frequently while the number of cases that are related to hospital-acquired pressure ulcers rises at an alarming rate. For example, in 2013, a study was conducted by the tissue viability department every month and the highest prevalence identified in March. Out of the 16 cases that were reported during March, 12 cases were defined as hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.
Patients in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and who are more restricted to their movement as well as a control on their respiration were viewed to fall victims of the pressure ulcers. These patients lack incontinence which is also a risk factor that can cause pressure ulcers to the hospitalized patients. Airway pressure masks used in hospitals were also seen to expose patients to the risk of acquiring pressure ulcers. Patients who suffer from pressure ulcers spend more time at the hospitals acquiring their treatment than their counterparts.
However, these incidences of pressure ulcers are avoidable in most cases where there are nurses who know the prevention measures of pressure ulcers. Health centers can reduce the number of cases of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers significantly if they have the right nursing care and nurses with extensive experience in medicine (Elliott, McKinley & Fox, 2008). Policies need to be in place so that these incidences of pressure ulcers are curbed which is a field that requires an extensive study.
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.
Elliott, R., McKinley, S., & Fox, V. (2008). Quality improvement program to reduce the prevalence of pressure ulcers in an intensive care unit. American journal of critical care, 17(4), 328-334.