Pressure injuries Flashcards
(50 cards)
What are never events
- events in a healthcare facility that should NEVER happen
- bloodstream infections
- UTI caused by catheters
- falls
- transfusion with wrong blood type
- surgery on wrong person or body part
- pressure ulcer while in the hospital
these must be reported
Lawsuits due to pressure injuries
- more than 17,000 lawsuits annually related to pressure ulcers
- it is the second most common claim after wrongful death
- average settlement is 250,00
- has led to criminal charges
Deathes related to pressure injures
- about 60,000 patients die as a direct result of a pressure ulcer each year
What is the Pathophysiology of pressure ulcers
- various risk factors that act over bony prominences and affect soft tissue
- when the pressure exceeds normal capillary pressure is when tissue damage is caused
- occulsion and tearing of small blood vessels
- reduced tissue perfusion
- ischemic necrosis
- pressure sore
What happens at the tissue level when a pressure injury occurs
- pressure occludes blood and lympathic circulation (in capillaries)
- increased interstitial fluid and increased venous pressure
- hypoxia and ischemia
- deformation of tissues
- when pressure relieved, sudden reperfusion damages (this can lead to chronic wounds)
what occurs at the capillary level with pressure injuries
- ischemia leads to hypoxic injury at cell
- lack of oxygen => insufficient ATP production => cell membrane pump fails
- cell membrane damage activated inflammation and DNA degradation and cell death
- damage at cell level with resultant edema and tissue damage exist prior to visible damage
damage occurs from inside out
Describe the time pressure curve for pressure ulcer formation
- low pressures = longer exposure time needed
- high pressure = shorter exposure time needed
more adipsoe tissue= pressure injuries may take longer
Name some supine pressure areas
- head
- shoulder
- elbow
- buttock
- heel
- toes: pressure of sheets and blankets
name some sidelying pressure areas
- ear
- shoulder
- elbow
- hip
- thigh
- leg
- both femoral condyles
- heel
Name some prone pressure points
- forehead
- cheeks
- nose
- chin
- clavicle/shoulder
- elbow
- chest/breast
- gentalia
- anterior pelvic bone
- knees/patella
- dorsal feet and toes
Name some seated pressure areas
- change amount of force through the surface depending on how reclined the back is
- head
- shoulder
- scapula
- sacrum
- buttock
- heel
- ball of foot
What is friction
- two surfaces move across one another
- dragging a pt across bed vs lifting a patient
- can cause pressure ulcers
What is shear
- a force applied parallel to soft tissue
- patient sliding down in bed, skin fixed, against sheets while skeleton slides downward
- creates tunneling/sinus
why would semi fowlers bed positioning be beneficial
- decreased sliding/shear
- HOB <30º decreased pressure
- caution with feeding tude as they need to be above 30ºto decrease risk of aspirating
Sidelying bed positioning
- 30º angle
- use pillows/wedges for support
- this is not functional
Intrinsic factors that can increase risk of pressure injuries
- nutrition
- age
- ciruculation
- underlying health status
Pressure injuries
extrinsic factors
- friction
- shearing
- moisture - incontinence/drainage/perspiration
- positioning/repositioning
Pressure injury characteristics
pain
- more proximal ulcers are likely to be painful
5 PT method
Pressure injury characteristics
position
- bony prominences
5 PT method
Pressure injury characteristics
presentation
- NPIAP ulcer classification system (staging)
5 PT method
Pressure injury characteristics
periwound
- non blanchable, indurated, mottled
5 PT method
Pressure injury characteristics
pulses
- pulse examination less routine (proximal before distal)
5 PT method
Pressure injury characteristics
temperture
- Hyperemia vs ischemia
5 PT method
How long does tissue desctruction take: 4 levels of skin breakdown
Pressure ulcer
- hyperemia (blanchable redness) w/i 30 minutes or less (carefull this could become pressure ulcer)
- ischemia: in 2-6 hours of continuous pressure
- necrosis: occurs after 6 hours of pressure
- ulceration may occur in 2 weeks after necorsis