This month,
HIIN The Know
focuses on Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs). According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), more than 2.5 million patients in U.S. acute care facilities develop HAPIs and more than 60,000 die from associated complications.
1
HAPIs continue to be a significant problem in hospitals across the nation. Recent research shows that aspects of patient care, such as nurse workload and staff members' varying levels of knowledge and experience, can increase the likelihood of pressure injury development.
Integral to the prevention of pressure injuries is working across the continuum of care, including with patients and family members. Education is critical for patients and families to understand how pressure injuries form, a patient’s risk of developing one, and steps to prevent them or keep them from getting worse.
Through your partnership with HSAG HIIN, you can ensure best practices and strategies are implemented to support HAPI reduction.
HSAG HIIN recommends the following practices:
- Perform a standardized skin and risk assessment at the time of admission and during the hospital stay for all patients.
- Develop an early mobility protocol and a nutritional support plan.
- Provide proper skin care and moisture management.
- Minimize pressure, shear, and friction by repositioning the patient every one to two hours.
- Off-load skin and tissue pressure in the emergency department and operating room.
- AHRQ. Preventing Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals. A Toolkit for Improving Quality of Care. Publication: 11-0053-EF. Available at: https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/publications/files/putoolkit.pdf. Accessed on: September 27, 2018.
