Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers, Essay Example

Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers (HAPU) has in the past 10 years become health concern in medical institutions around the world. This is owing to the large costs associated with its treatment, reimbursement of patients by medical institutions and patient morbidity. While there have been numerous inquests into the potential eradication of hospital acquired pressure ulcers triggers, results point towards its potential management through employing numerous devices.

Prevention

All literature on the subject of Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers clearly maintain that the condition cannot be completely and successfully be prevented. The occurrence of HAPU is strictly circumstantial; i.e. its occurrence may be due to a wide variety of issues that may range from a patient’s reaction to medicine or a combination of medicines administered during their stay, the physiological condition at the time of treatment, to their lifestyle.

Management and Mitigation

Research depicts that almost all literature points towards mitigation as the only solution to HAPU. Reducing the occurrences of HAPU is a more realistic endeavor as opposed to complete prevention(Chicano & Drolshagen, 2009). This information is particularly interesting considering that CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) ceased to provide additional funds to hospitals that covers patient reimbursement at the event a patient develops HAPU during their stay in the medical institution in question. This highlights the challenged that acute-care medical institutions face.

Inter-disciplinary Approach

Most of the literature points to the fact that the mitigation of the occurrences of HAPU is an interdisciplinary approach. This translates to the requirement of an intricate and well-defined plan that encompasses almost all labor units found within a medical institution, a “care plan”. Care plans are quite effective, but most require a considerable amount of determination and tolerance for routines by all units of labor(Haesler, 2014).

Organizational Culture

Owing to its inter-disciplinary nature, the mitigation of HAPU predominantly relies on the state and efficacy of a medical institution’s organizational cultures. Data from numerous literature points to the fact that medical institutions that have employed an intricate organizational culture have managed to mitigate the occurrence of HAPU cases, reducing them by over 73%.

Risk Assessment

Literature points to the use of effective risk assessment techniques to help monitor activity related to patients so as to mitigate the occurrence of HAPU(Haesler, 2014). This is not only effective in helping monitor a patient, but also help the healthcare providers identify any risks that are specific to a patient, so as to tailor specific mitigation techniques for them.

Nutrition and Skin Care

Nutrition is key to any patient. Supplementation of the nutrition provided on a daily basis is vital to HAPU mitigation. This is enhanced by ultra-careful skin care through daily inspection of the patient. This also helps tailor a combination of mitigation techniques specific to the patient, their needs and risks they are exposed to.

In conclusion, literature analyzed depicts HAPU cases can be mitigated considerably, though they cannot be completely avoided. HAPU occurrences are usually specific to a given patient relative to numerous factors the patient is exposed to. Risk assessment, proper nutrition and an effective organizational culture all point towards a multi-dimensional approach to mitigation of HAPU.

References

Chicano, S. G., & Drolshagen, C. (2009, February). Wound Care: Reducing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence, 45-50. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/static?pageid=847909

Haesler, E. (2014). Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Practice Guideline. National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance. Osborne Park: Cambridge Media. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://international-pressure-ulcer-guidelines.myshopify.com/