Pressure injury prevention in adult critically ill patients: best practice implementation project

Abstract

This study assessed compliance with the best practices for pressure injury prevention among ICU patients at a tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Introduction:Intensive care patients are at high risk of developing a pressure injury; preventing this requires a best practice protocol.Method: This best practice implementation project was conducted in a Brazilian tertiary hospital in three phases following the JBI Model of Evidence-based Healthcare. Ten criteria derived from the best available evidence were audited and monitored before and after best practice implementation. Results:The baseline and follow-up audits evaluated 28 patients at each step. A total of 448 h of care were analyzed using a monitoring camera and medical records. Compliance with all 10 audited criteria increased, with a 50% reduction in the prevalence of pressure injuries in intensive care. Of the 223 employees, 71% claimed to have some knowledge of pressure injury prevention, and 66% reported adequate adherence to prevention protocols. Conclusion:The audit and feedback strategy improved compliance with the criteria. Future audits are needed to promote the sustainability of evidence-based practice.

Pressure Injury Prevention in Adult Critically Ill Patients: A Best Practice Implementation Project

“…This led us to assess compliance with best practices for PI prevention in critically ill patients. Strategies were then developed and implemented to enhance the project team's knowledge about PI prevention to improve care for critically ill patients 1…”