AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Pediatric Skin Care Program Focuses on Proactively Identifying and Providing Preventive Therapy to At-Risk Intensive Care Unit Patients, Leading to Significant Reductions in Pressure Ulcers

Innovation Profile:

Pediatric Skin Care Program Focuses on Proactively Identifying and Providing Preventive Therapy to At-Risk Intensive Care Unit Patients, Leading to Significant Reductions in Pressure Ulcers

Snapshot
Summary
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta developed and implemented a comprehensive skin care program to reduce pressure ulcers in its intensive care units. Major program elements include training nurses on ways to identify, prevent, and treat pressure ulcers; using a pediatric version of a common adult skin assessment scale (the Braden scale) to regularly assess and proactively identify patients at high risk of pressure ulcers; and providing early preventive therapy for at-risk patients, including turning them every 2 hours. The program led to a 59 percent reduction in pressure ulcer incidence in intensive care units.

See the Description section for new information about a pressure ulcer prevention policy, electronic reminders, staff and family education, a pressure ulcer scorecard, and pressure ulcer prevention champions; the Results section for information about pressure ulcer goal achievement; the Planning and Development section for information about the pressure ulcer prevention team, training, pressure ulcer prevention champions, and the pressure ulcer prevention plan; the Resources Used section for updated cost component information; and the Adoption Considerations section for suggestions related to emphasizing immediate skin care and reinforcing success (updated May 2011).

Evidence Rating
Moderate: The evidence consists of pre- and post-implementation comparisons of pressure ulcer incidence and the number of reports of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, as well as achievement of pressure ulcer goals.

Developing Organizations
Children's Hospital of Atlanta

Date First Implemented
2005
August

Patient Population
Age > Adolescent (13-18 years); Child (6-12 years); Vulnerable Populations > Children; Co-occurring disorders; Age > Infant (1-23 months); Vulnerable Populations > Intensive care unit patients; Age > Newborn (0-1 month); Preschooler (2-5 years)

full-text:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Pediatric Skin Care Program Focuses on Proactively Identifying and Providing Preventive Therapy to At-Risk Intensive Care Unit Patients, Leading to Significant Reductions in Pressure Ulcers