Pressure Injuries: Risk Factors, Policy, and Patient Outcomes

This report delves into the critical issue of pressure injuries, also known as pressure ulcers, examining their causes, risk factors, and the impact on patients and healthcare systems. The report highlights the significance of healthcare policies in managing and preventing these injuries, emphasizing the role of nurses and other healthcare professionals. It discusses intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors, including immobility, malnutrition, and shear forces, while also addressing the ethical dilemmas associated with pressure injury prevention. The report further explores the economic burden of pressure injuries, the effectiveness of prevention and management policies, and the importance of timely risk assessments. It underscores the need for knowledge, appropriate strategies, and a consistent approach to improve patient outcomes and reduce the prevalence of pressure injuries. The report analyzes the current situation, detailing the factors leading to the formation of policy, relevance of policy and the impact of the issue.

Running head: PRESSURE INJURIES 1
Pressure Injuries
Name
Institution

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PRESSURE INJURIES
Introduction
Pressure injuries are the result of tissue injury caused by unrelieved shear forces or
pressure. Some researchers refer to pressure injuries as an injury that occurs when different
types of forces remain applied to the skin’s surface. Pressure injuries are a major problem
affecting around three million adults. In the year 1993, pressure injuries were found in more than
two hundred and eighty thousand hospital. Currently, pressure injuries still remain a problem in
health care setting. The issue of pressure injury was changed to policy to promote the
management, and prevention of pressure injuries. The policy was created in pressure injury to
help in solving the problems caused by pressure injuries. Pressure injuries are a common issue
in the health care sector. The research study conducted by some researchers affirmed that
appropriate strategies could prevent pressure injuries. The effects of pressure injury include
scarring, pain, as well as interference with the operation of daily life that the disease causes
sufferers. In addition to the challenges mentioned above, some researches specified that the cost
of treating pressure injuries in the social care system and health in the United States and other
parts of the world was quite high. Also, the patients affected by the disease take a longer time in
the hospital. Therefore, prevention of the prevalence of this issue is essential and deserves more
considerable attention. To prevent pressure injuries, professional nurses have to gain knowledge
of the risk factors which predispose people to pressure injury. It was also found that pressure
injuries are associated with ethical dilemma (Patients and professional nurses).
Nevertheless, Nurses have to know some of the essential strategies that may be used to
avoid ulcers. Knowledge remains a requirement for high-quality care. Although nurses typically
have a positive attitude toward pressure injury prevention, some studies have indicated a big gap

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between practice and theory. Therefore, knowledge alone cannot prevent pressure injuries. The
health sector, investors, and other stakeholders decided to developed policy to help in the
prevention of pressure injuries. Policies are principles, guidelines, and rules established by an
organization to help it achieve its well-set goals. For instance, Health policy may be described as
the plans, actions, and decisions that remain undertaken to attain particular healthcare goals
within a community. The purpose of this paper is to clearly discuss in detail pressure injury and
its impact.
Pressure injury prevention and management policy
This analysis of pressure injury will be performed by examining the literature review on
pressure injuries. According to some researchers, pressure injury is common issues that affect a
large number of people in the world. It causes death and leads to poor quality of life of most
people (LeBlanc, Woo, Bassett & Botros, 2019). Due to these challenges, many health care
institutions develop pressure injury prevention and management policy to help minimize the
prevalence of pressure injuries.
Why issue happening
There are many risk factors of pressure injuries. These risk factors provide an
environment for the acquisition of pressure injuries (Orgill, 2018). Pressure injuries formation
remains highly influenced by different risk factors. The risk factors that cause pressure injuries
include conditions leading to lack of sensation, immobility, and malnutrition (Guzman, 2019).
Extrinsic risk factors are being immobilized on a table, or spinal board, or bed for a more
extended period. According to some researchers, intrinsic factors, for example, malnutrition,
smoking, and diabetes also stimulate the overall risk for this disease (Forouzanfar et al. 2014).
The spinal cord damage patient population remains at the highest risk of acquiring pressure

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injury because of the combination of decreased sensation and immobility. Other things that may
increase the risk of pressure injuries include weight loss and dehydration. In a particular study
conducted by a team of nurses found out that ischial and sacral pressure injuries were widespread
and another common location remained on the heel. This data stressed how it is necessary to
understand the environmental, physical, as well as medical risks for the growth of pressure
injuries in the patients to prevent them. Many researchers affirm that pressure injuries are caused
by the immobility of patients, which is often seen in elderly individuals in the nursing home, and
those clients/patients that cannot move or remain non-ambulatory. In summary, pressure
injuries, which are also referred to as bedsores, exhibit tissue injury beneath the skin. This
damage to the underlying tissue is as a result of pressure on a particular part of the body. Some
of the most common areas where pressure ulcers appear in individuals include buttocks, hips,
tailbone, and lower back. Also, pressure injuries often manifest around the heel, foot, and ankle
areas in patients (Squitieri et al. 2018). Because pressure injuries remain caused when a force
remains applied to our skin, causing damage to the tissue. Some types of force include:
 Pressure: constant pressure on our skin can cause the development of pressure
injuries. For instance, pressure often occurs when a person remains in the same position for a
longer period.
 Shear: a dragging force or shear damage occur when the bed's head remains
raised, and the patient's body slide down. This may damage the internal structure of the body.
 Moisture: fluids such as facal matter, urine, and sweat that are on the surface of
the skin may cause the skin to be wet. This may increase the risk for the development of
pressure injuries.

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 Immobility: According to the research, patients who are unable to change their
positions are most prone to pressure injury (Kayser, VanGilder, Ayello & Lachenbruch, 2018).
The actual movements of different parts of the body frequently provide pressure relief to the
body.
 Friction: The research study confirm that friction has the potential of causing
pressure injury in that it usually produce shearing forces which may damage the tissue.
Therefore, we can say that friction is one of the causative agents of pressure injuries to most
patients.
Is it a common issue?
Pressure injuries remain problematic to the people and health systems all over the
Universe, significantly damaging more than seven million patients as well as consuming
extraordinary costs (Chiari et al. 2017). Most of the hospitals spend a considerable sum of
money each year on wound treatments. According to some researchers, pressure injury is a
common problem that affects most people in different parts of the world. Pressure injury often
happens to many patients both in rehabilitation as well as long-term facilities. The impact of this
issue made various hospitals to conduct numerous researches to find preventions measures for
the reduction of pressure injuries among the people. The issue of pressure injury is widespread
in different parts of the world. It remains a common problem that affects all people in the world.
A pressure injury is a common problem that happens to anyone in any place.
It is a widespread issue
Pressure injury is a common issue that happens to many people in the entire world. It is a
widespread issue that affects mainly the older people in the society (Taradaj, 2017). According
to some researchers, a pressure injury is a global concern affecting people all over the world.

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Almost seven hundred thousand people in the United Kingdom remain affected by pressure
injuries each year, making it a global problem a substantial concern for care units and health
professionals Worldwide (Jackson et al. 2016). The prevention, as well as management of
pressure ulcers, stays to be a concern in most of the health care system in the world. Pressure
injuries are widespread in all care settings. Many people get treated for pressure injuries more so
in care homes.
Factors that led to the formation of policy
It was evident that pressure injuries represent a serious economic and clinical problem,
and their management and prevention remains essential in promoting patient health outcome as
well as improving international health budget (Koh, Yeo & Goh, 2018). Some of the problems
caused by pressure injuries include pain, social isolation, and loss of independence, lost work
time, decreased mobility, and discomfort. All these factors mentioned above spearheaded the
creation of ‘Pressure injury prevention and management policy.’
The effectiveness of policy for nurses
The use of pressure injury prevention and management policy has demonstrated
effectiveness in increasing the knowledge for nurses (Norton et al. 2017). The policy helps the
nurses to identify high-risk clients and to prevent complications related to pressure injury. The
research study indicated that nurses who accessed the present pressure injury guidelines had a
better pressure injury knowledge level as compared to others (Fulbrook, Lawrence & Miles,
2019). The policy also provides adequate care education to all professional nurses. For instance,
the education for pressure injury prevention provided in the policy mainly focuses on sittings,
wound dressings, as well as sitting support surface.
Why policy is relevant to pressure injury

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The policy is relevant because it help the health care workers to understand their
responsibilities and roles in the treatment of pressure injuries. Also, This Policy provides a
fundamental guideline that helps in decision making process. The policy is relevant to pressure
injury because it help to reduce the prevalence of pressure linked damages to NSW clients thru
adequate risk management, risk assessment, as well as appropriate treatment (Carville, 2018).
This policy support services of healthcare to follow various standards required in regard to
pressure ulcer prevention as well as management. Lastly, the purpose of this policy is to create a
consistent best practice approach more so for pressure ulcer prevention as well as management.
This policy aimed at alleviating some of the risk factors of pressure injuries. This policy was
created to come up with appropriate strategies that will prevent pressure injuries among the
affected groups in society, such as older people (Forciea, Humphrey & Qaseem, 2015). The
policy is so essential because it offers guidance and enough information to healthcare workers
such as midwives, allied health professionals, registered nurses, and operating department
practitioners on how they can prevent pressure injuries (Hampson et al. 2018). Pressure injury
prevention, as well as management policy, is quite essential because it offers support to some of
the goals set by the health care sector. For instance, the policy will support the goal of managing
and preventing pressure injuries. The policy is so essential because it increases the awareness of
patients, the public and health care workers to the importance of prevention and management of
pressure injury. According to WHO (World Health Organization), this policy is relevant in that
it outlines priorities as well as the expected duties of different groups; it builds consensus as well
as inform people (Haesler & Carville, 2015). Also, the policy is essential because it provides the
best practice for the treatment of pressure injuries. These are some of the approaches presented
in the policy useful for the treatment of pressure injuries: 1) Timely risk assessment to find out

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risk factors, 2) use of a suitable risk assessment device to guide in decision making to find
pressure injury risk
Impact of the issue
Pressure injuries affected the quality of life of many people. Its development causes
complications for example Sepsis as well as death. Each year, many people died due to pressure
injuries. Pressure injuries also affect the functional recovery, promote social isolation, and
produce pain as well as discomfort. According to most researchers affirm that more than three
million people are being affected by pressure injuries. In the United State, more than 65,000
patients die each year with pressure injuries. Some researchers affirm that pressure injuries
mostly affect older people over 75 years of age. This is because the skin of older people is
susceptible. Also, the financial implications of pressure injuries remain vast and variable.
According to most researchers, the average cost of treating a patient who is affected by pressure
injuries are about $ 3,000. In Canada, the lowest cost of treating stage 1 wound remains $ 2400
per month in some hospitals (Chaboyer et al. 2018). This data on cost varies greatly, depending
on factors excluded or included from the model of economic such as support surfaces and
nursing time. Numerous studies have been performed around the world to approximate the
extent of this medical condition. In the US, the prevalence in intensive care units ranges from
twelve percentages (12%) to nineteen percent (19%), whereas across five European nations, the
prevalence remained 18 percent. Some researchers approximated that the cost of treating
patients with pressure injuries remains two times the actual cost of managing and preventing
them (Rocco et al. 2018). Therefore, preventing pressure injuries should be the primary goal of
health professionals.
Resources spend in prevention and treatment of pressure injury

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The prevention of pressure injury is a challenge not only to Patients but also to hospitals
around the world. Also, the cost of treating pressure injuries is quite expensive to the health care
institution and patients. (Kottner et al. 2019) There are many financial implications of pressure
injuries in patient life. Yearly, many people received treatment in the most hospital in the world.
According to some researchers, the cost of treatment in those hospitals is about $ 20 billion per
annum (Coleman et al. 2014). This may cause the financial burden not only to the patients but
also to the hospitals. The hospital may be affected in that the management has to allocate funds
for the purchase of equipment of pressure injuries. The organization also has to conduct a
research on how to prevent pressure injuries. This research will require time and money. Also,
pressure injuries affect an individual's quality of life. The development of pressure injury may
trigger various complications to the body. For instance, the patient may die, or it may cause pain
and suffering to the patients and their families. According to some researchers, the development
of pressure injury can affect the patient's functional recovery, create discomfort and pain, and
promote isolation (Ayello et al. 2019). Another adverse effect of pressure injury is that it may
make the patient stay for long in the hospital. When the patient stays long in the hospital, their
daily activities may be affected because the patient shall spend more time in the hospital’s bed.
Conclusion
This paper discussed the impact of pressure injuries to the patients and Health care
institutions. Some of the effects of pressure injuries discussed in this paper are that the treatment
of the pressure injuries is quite expensive to both the patients and hospitals. For instance, the
cost of treatment of pressure injuries in the United States is high as compared to other diseases.

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The high cost of surgery may cause financial burden not only to the patients but also to the
hospitals. The hospital may be affected in that the management has to spend a lot of money for
the purchase of equipment and drugs for pressure injuries. Some of the causes of pressure
injuries discussed in the paper are that pressure injuries are caused by the immobility of patients.
This paper also outlines the importance of policy in the prevention and management of pressure
injuries. From this paper, it is true that the implementation of the policy increases the Nurses’
knowledge as well as a practice about prevention of pressure injuries.

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