1. Place pres-
sure dressings
over sacrum.
Many studies docu-
ment the usefulness of
padded, prophylactic
dressings to reduce
pressure, sheer and
friction on the regions
of a patient's skin over
bony body parts.
While the new AORN
recommendations suggest using the dressings over bony areas such
as the sacrum, they caution against stacking multiple dressings on top
of one another. If a dressing becomes damaged or worn, just replace
it with a new one, says Ms. Fearon. Don't use the dressings in lieu of
other positioning devices, but you can use them in tandem with other
aids. Of course, you should consult the manufacturer's IFU to make
sure the devices are compatible with pressure dressings.
Because there are many types of prophylactic dressings to choose
from, AORN recommends assembling a team to determine which
dressings best promote your facility's pressure injury prevention pro-
gram. The team should include staff familiar with the different types
of dressings and the effects the dressings have on the temperature
and on the moisture of skin when applied, says Ms. Fearon.
2. Float the heels.
This next change is for you if you use a pad
or a piece of egg crate foam to protect a patient's heels from pressure
ulcers when a patient is in the supine position. Instead, AORN recom-
mends you use a boot-like heel-suspension device to raise the heels
6 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R U Y 2 0 1 8
• FOOT REST A pillow alone may not be the best way to redistribute pressure on
the heels.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
