A surgical intensive care unit at a university hospital decreased its pressure ulcer rate by nearly two thirds by establishing a team that turned patients every two hours, according to a study in Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Researchers assessed 507 SICU patients for pressure ulcers from December 2008, before the turning intervention was implemented, to September 2010, after the intervention was implemented. The intervention consisted of a team whose role was turning and repositioning all hemodynamically stable patients every two hours.
Before the intervention, researchers identified 42 pressure ulcers in 278 patients, a rate of 15.1 percent. After the turn team was created, researchers identified only 12 pressure ulcers in 229 patients, a 5.2 percent rate, which represents a 65.6 percent decrease in the pressure ulcer rate from baseline.
In addition, among the initial group of patients there were 34 stage I and II ulcers and eight higher stage ulcers. After the turn team was established, there were only seven stage 1 and II ulcers and five higher stage ulcers.
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Researchers assessed 507 SICU patients for pressure ulcers from December 2008, before the turning intervention was implemented, to September 2010, after the intervention was implemented. The intervention consisted of a team whose role was turning and repositioning all hemodynamically stable patients every two hours.
Before the intervention, researchers identified 42 pressure ulcers in 278 patients, a rate of 15.1 percent. After the turn team was created, researchers identified only 12 pressure ulcers in 229 patients, a 5.2 percent rate, which represents a 65.6 percent decrease in the pressure ulcer rate from baseline.
In addition, among the initial group of patients there were 34 stage I and II ulcers and eight higher stage ulcers. After the turn team was established, there were only seven stage 1 and II ulcers and five higher stage ulcers.
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