Pressure injury prevention governance and education

SectionRecommendationGrade of recommendation
 24. Governance structures and systems are to be in place within each ICU/HDU to support the prevention and management of pressure injuries. (1) Standard 8
 25.

As soon as possible after discovery pressure Injuries are to be reported and entered into the appropriate risk management tool as per the NSW Health Pressure Injury Prevention policy. (1, 3)

NSW Health policy

Standard 8

 26. Equipment and devices are available to implement effective prevention strategies for patients at risk and to manage the patients with existing pressure injuries. (1)  Standard 8
 27.

Auditing of pressure injury prevention strategies, including:

  • clinical documentation (i.e. completion of risk assessment tools)
  • implementation of evidence-based pressure injury prevention strategies
  • rate of occurrence of pressure injuries
  • appropriate referral to wound management and allied health
  • quality improvement and education strategies are to be undertaken on a regular basis. (1)
 Standard 8
NSW Health Policy
 28.  Education in the prevention, assessment and management of pressure injury should be provided to all health professionals.  C
The evidence review for these recommendations was current to December 2012. Clinicians are advised to check the literature as research may have been published that changes these recommendations.

Grading of recommendations

Grade of recommendation Description
A Body of evidence can be trusted to guide evidence
B Body of evidence can be trusted to guide practice in most situations
C Body of evidence provides some support for recommendation/s but care should be taken in its application
D Body of evidence is weak and recommendation must be applied with caution
Consensus Consensus was set as a median of ≥ 7
Grades A–D are based on NHMRC grades (2)

References

  1. ACSQH. Standard 8: Preventing and Managing Pressure Injuries. Clinical Care Standards. Canberra: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care; 2012.
  2. Hillier S, Grimmer-Somers K, Merlin T, Middleton P, Salisbury J, Tooher R, et al. FORM: an Australian method for formulating and grading recommendations in evidence-based clinical guidelines. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 2011;11:23. PubMed PMID: 21356039.
  3. NSW Health. Pressure Injury Prevention and Management (PD2014_007). Sydney: NSW Government; 2014.

Disclaimer

The information on this page is general in nature and cannot reflect individual patient variation. It reflects Australian intensive care practice, which may differ from that in other countries. It is intended as a supplement to the more specific information provided by the doctors and nurses caring for your loved one. ICNSW attests to the accuracy of the information contained here but takes no responsibility for how it may apply to an individual patient. Please refer to the full disclaimer.