Abstract
Introduction: Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are generally preventable, yet continue to be common adverse events in Australian hospitals, resulting in significant hospital expense and unnecessary harm to patients. Nurses use an appropriate assessment tool to assess patient pressure injury risk, such as the Braden Scale. Despite it being a commonly used tool in ward environments, the Braden Scale is considered by many to be unsuitable to assess patient risk during the intra-operative period. This project trialled using an additional pressure injury risk assessment tool that considers specific intra-operative factors, prior to the patient entering the operating theatre, to determine patient risk.
Method: The aim of this project was to trial the Scott Triggers® tool to assess pressure injury risk in patients undergoing surgery. Patients identified as high risk using the Scott Triggers® tool had additional preventative measures implemented in the form of a ‘pressure injury prevention bundle’ for the duration of their surgery. The desired outcome for this project was to see a reduction in perioperative pressure injuries and an increase in staff knowledge and awareness of pressure injury risk assessment and prevention.
Results: The Scott Triggers® tool successfully identified 37 patients as high risk for pressure injury development, whereas only one was identified using the Braden Scale. Participating perioperative nurses gave positive feedback about using the Scott Triggers® tool and implementing the pressure injury prevention bundle. Participating nurses also reported an increase in knowledge and awareness of perioperative pressure injury risk.
Conclusion: The Scott Triggers® tool was found to be more reliable for assessing pressure injury risk during the intra-operative phase. Perioperative nurses should consider the unique risk that the intra-operative period poses and use a suitable tool, such as the Scott Triggers® tool, to identify patients who are at high risk of developing a pressure injury.
Recommended Citation
Wallent, Jessica and Foran, Paula
(2024)
"Triggering change in perioperative pressure injury risk assessment: A project report,"
Journal of Perioperative Nursing: Vol. 37
:
Iss.
2
, Article 7.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.26550/2209-1092.1347
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