Evidence Based Essay on Pressure Injury

Running head: EVIDENCE BASED ESSAY ON PRESSURE INJURY
Evidence based essay on pressure injury
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EVIDENCE BASED ESSAY ON PRESSURE INJURY
Introduction:
Pressure injuries represent the commonly used term pressure ulcer. It can be defined as
the local damage to the skin and the soft tissue within, which is also usually seen to develop over
a bony prominence, which is either created as continual shearing on skin that has reduced skin
integrity (Santamaria et al. 2015). Pressure injuries are also caused due to the shearing on the
skin after the use of any medical invasive device for a long period of time. In most cases, the
pressure injuries are open ulcers which can be infected and be extremely painful. As discussed
by Qaseem et al. (2015)the pressure injuries are a very common complication associated with
long term illnesses and in most acute illnesses which requires a prolonged period of hospice care,
and most preferably for prolonged bed rest. Similarly, acute care patients often develop pressure
injuries due to prolonged period of bed rest and the infection further complicates their existing
conditions and complicates the existing health adversities incredibly. Hence, pressure injuries are
very common issues that the patients face and there is need for adequate evidence based practice
to improve the state of care delivery to prevent and adequately manage the patients with pressure
ulcers (Bhattacharya and Mishra 2015). Evidence based practice involves exploration, analysis
and incorporation of best available care practice, standards and recommendations on a particular
care priority. This essay will attempt to investigate the literature evidence on pressure ulcers and
intervention strategies for managing the injuries taking the assistance of a case study.
The case study that has been chosen for the essay involvesa patient named Joseph Russo,
who presented to the facility with the complaint of unconsciousness and extreme hypotension.
He suffered a pressure injury in one of his heels. Joseph was assessed to have a fluid filled blister
in his left feet which was also infected. The pressure ulcer had been red and had been
considerably big in size being 3 cm / 3 cm in measurement. Although, his hypotension and

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EVIDENCE BASED ESSAY ON PRESSURE INJURY
related issues other than the pressure injury were resolved, and he was awaiting discharge within
a day or two. As a result, upon his discharge, the nurse would also require to provide a thorough
education to his family or specific carers on proper intervention management and healing of the
pressure ulcer.
Evidence review on pressure injury management:
The purpose of the assignment is to provide and assess the existing evidence base
on the hospital acquired pressure ulcers, its prevention and adequate management. The evidence
review in this case is based on evidence pyramid and the most relevant, accurate and high quality
evidence had been attempted to include in the assignment. The first most notable evidence that
can be incorporated in this context is by Tran et al. (2016), a review study which can be
considered a very high level evidence as per the evidence pyramid. The primary aim of research
article was to discuss how pressure ulcers can be prevented in the acute care settings. The
research study discussed pressure ulcers provide a considerable issue in the health care
environment including higher care cost and enhanced complexity of the care services. The
authors also mentioned the fact that pressure injuries are caused by prolonged ischemia coupled
with subsequent soft-tissue injury that is caused as a direct result of unrelieved pressure over a
bony prominence. The review study incorporated 353 total number of studies were reviewed in
the article and the main data findings that have been identified in the article indicates at the fact
that the use of risk assessment scales are very crucial for preventing the pressure ulcers before
they can fully develop. The advantage of using alternative support surfaces to help in prevention
is also discussed to be more effective than the standard hospital mattresses. The authors have
also discussed that efficient repositioning, using silicone prophylactic dressing to avoid shear,