Pressure Ulcer Prevention - Essay Example

Pressure ulcers are healthcare-related problems of significant importance. They are breaches in the continuity of skin and soft tissues over bony prominences and are graded to classify by the observed degree of tissue damage. They are commonly encountered in high-risk and elderly patients both in the hospital and community care settings, and these have potentials, with inappropriate care, to develop into very complex lesions of the skin and the tissues that underlie them. Most care providers and healthcare professionals regard them to be responsibilities of the nurses, at least when proactive preventative care is concerned; however, when it complicates, it very often needs collaborative care from the other members of the healthcare team (De Laat et al., 2006). From practice, it can be stated that pressure ulcers are important clinical conditions that the nurses must expect in practice and prevent in a variety of practice settings.

There are several promising nursing interventions that can decrease pressure ulcer incidence. However, there is a considerable body of literature that can serve as evidence to guide the prevention of pressure ulcers in practice (Bolton et al., 2007). From the given scenario below, in this study, the current evidence for the prevention of pressure ulcers will be critically reviewed in order to improve the standards of nursing care.Case ScenarioAlthough for ethical reasons and the reasons of confidentiality, the actual identity of the patient will remain undisclosed and a nickname has been used, this is the story of Mr.

John, a 60-year-old male, bedridden in a long-term care facility. He had survived a stroke and had been recovering. He has a very poor appetite. Both the nurse and the family are concerned, given his incontinence and poor nutrition, whether he would develop pressure ulcers. Moreover, the nurse is aware that many others factors may play together to develop a pressure ulcer in Mr. John. The family is anxious that the nurse does something to prevent these from happening. The nurse intends to examine the best evidence to provide the best possible care for Mr.

John to answer the question of what could be done to prevent pressure ulcers in him.Pressure UlcersPressure ulcers usually occur over bony prominences and are graded or staged to classify the degree of observed tissue damage. Common terms used for tissue destruction resulting from prolonged pressure are bedsore, decubitus ulcer, pressure sore, and pressure ulcer (Nixon, J. et al. PRESSURE Trial Group, 2006). If by an ulcer, it is meant a breach in the continuity of the skin and the underlying tissues, these terms are self-explanatory.

The terms decubitus ulcer and bedsore originated from the observations that ulcers frequently occur in persons who are bedridden due to any cause. However, the patients need not be lying down or bedridden to develop tissue damage or ulceration due to pressure.