Medical recommendations for prevention include obtaining ample bed rest; performing pressure redistribution at regular intervals with accompanying skin inspections; keeping skin dry while adhering to a personalized bowel-and-bladder management program; and using and maintaining proper pressure-redistribution equipment, such as friction-reducing mattresses or protective padding to line the inner surface of braces covering bony prominences (Catz, Zifroni, & Philo, 2005; Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine, 2000; National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel [NPUAP], 2006; Wilborn, Halfens, & Dassen, 2006).
by Donna McMullen, RN, CWOCN, and Carolyn Corazza, RN, CWOCN RELATED ARTICLE: Important Definitions In February 2007, the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) newly defined a pressure ulcer as a "localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear and/or friction.
Involving more disciplines Every clinical discipline can play a role in wound prevention and management, Stresses Pam Unger, a certified wound specialist and partner in the Center for Advanced Wound Care in Redding, Pennsylvania, who serves as a liaison to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.
So like it or not, your staff will need to know some basic wound care assessment skills, including the staging of wounds, as approved by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.
