Evaluation of an Evidence‐Based Care Bundle for Preventing Hospital‐Acquired Pressure Injuries in High‐Risk Surgical Patients

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence‐based care bundle to prevent perioperative pressure injuries. In a single facility, using a preintervention and postintervention quasi‐experimental design, we compared the pressure injury incidence rate for two patient groups (ie, before and after care bundle implementation). The bundle included a variety of elements, such as educating patients, applying protection, controlling skin moisture, and using pressure‐relieving devices according to the patient's risk. Before the intervention, patients received standard care before procedures that did not address risk for pressure injury development. The study involved a total of 944 patients, and the incidence of pressure injury was lower in the postintervention group than in the preintervention group (1.6% versus 4.8%; P < .001). However, the odds ratio was nonsignificant and therefore the clinical relevance of the bundle is unclear. Additional research with a control group and multiple sites is needed.