Pressure injury prevention for surgery: Results from a prospective, observational study in a tertiary hospital

Implementing pressure injury prevention in a perioperative setting

Abstract

Hospital acquired pressure injury (HAPI) refers to the development of pressure injury (PI) during hospitalisation. Prevalence rates of HAPI among all PI cases in acute health settings vary widely in different regions and countries, ranging from three to 18 per cent. While patients with limited mobility are at greater risk of developing a PI, anaesthetised patients are particularly vulnerable due to limited mobility. Perioperative HAPI remains problematic, with current prevalence rates varying from 5.1 to 64.1 per cent. Through the literature review component of this study, we identified five categories of pressure injury prevention (PIP) strategies that comply with current clinical practice guidelines. There has been considerable research undertaken on PIP in medical–surgical wards but research undertaken in the perioperative environment is scarce.

The aim of this observational study was to report on the PIP strategies used by perioperative health professionals at a large tertiary hospital in southeast Queensland.