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Oral Abstracts (Session 5 of 5)
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(Presentation 36.4) Does your protocol prevent heel ulcers? Jeanne Pearla, PhD, RN, Cindy Sylvia, RN, CWOCN, MA, MS; Laura Grisanti, RN, CNOR Introduction: Heels are the second most common site for pressure ulcers. Every facility has a pressure ulcer prevention protocol utilizing a risk assessment tool. However, a comprehensive risk assessment tool that identifies patients at risk for the development of heel ulcers does not exist. Clinicians depend on information provided by support surface manufacturers as to how well support surfaces manage heel pressure. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify a way to manage heel pressure in the absence of a heel risk assessment tool. Methodology: Several different support surfaces were pressure mapped by an independent lab. The same 3 subjects were used for each surface. Results report average and peak pressure. Results: No support surface was able to float the heel area. Average heel pressures did not differentiate between support surfaces (range of 11–23 mmHg). Peak pressures differentiated between products; however, all peak pressures were > 40 mmHg. Conclusions: Support surfaces can help reduce, but not eliminate, heel pressure. Support surfaces that slope the heel section continue to be a source of pressure. Pressure ulcer prevention protocols that use support surfaces as a way of preventing pressure ulcers are not adequate. An adjunct to support surface therapy, such as heel boots, needs to be included in pressure ulcer prevention protocols to remove all pressure and float the heel. References Baranoski S, Ayello E. Wound Care Essentials. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2003:245. Guidelines for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. WOCN Society, 2003. |
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