References
An international consensus on device-related pressure ulcers: SECURE prevention
Abstract
Many commonly used medical devices, such as endotracheal and nasogastric tubes, oxygen tubing, non-invasive ventilation masks, urinary catheters, cervical collars and casts, have changed little in decades. It is unsurprising that these traditional devices, which interface with vulnerable skin and soft tissue, are frequently associated with device-related pressure ulcers (DRPUs).
A DRPU involves a device or object that is in direct or indirect contact with skin, or one implanted under the skin, causing focal and localised forces that deform the superficial and deep underlying tissues. It is distinct from a pressure ulcer (PU), which is caused primarily by bodyweight forces.
Patients managed using medical devices are more likely to develop a PU or experience skin breakdown (Black et al, 2010; Yamaguti et al, 2014). For example, in one US hospital setting, the overall rate of PUs was 5.4%, of which 34.5% were DRPUs (Black et al, 2010). Elsewhere, it has been observed that DRPU may account for as much as 61–81% of all hospital-acquired PUs (HAPUs), depending on the care setting and patient subpopulations (Ham et al, 2017; Clay et al, 2018).
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