Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribers

No Guarantees - March 2017 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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M A R C H 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 1 Prevent Pressure Ulcers P ressure ulcers are the painful, red reminders of unprotected bony promi- nences that remain on the OR table for too long. While no single precaution is 100% effective in preventing pressure ulcers — some patients will suf- fer skin breakdown no matter how hard you try to prevent it — the right positioning techniques and devices can go a long way toward reducing the risk. Here are 14 simple steps worth considering. 1. Stress good nutrition. Diet impacts risk for pressure ulcer development. Take time during the pre-operative meeting to discuss the importance of nutrition in the weeks leading up to surgery. "Advise patients to take a daily multivitamin, and to make sure they're incorpo- rating protein into a balanced diet, because this helps prevent skin breakdown," says Denise Betcher, RN, MSN, CPHQ, nursing quality specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. According to a 2015 report in the journal Advances in Skin and Wound Care, proper hydration can also help ward off pressure ulcers. 14 strategies to protect your patients from skin lesions caused by friction and unrelieved pressure. • PRESSURE AND TIME Pressure ulcers can develop during shorter procedures, but the risk increases the longer anesthetized patients with unprotected bony prominences remain on the OR table. Pamela Bevelhymer, RN, BSN Diane Stopyra Contributing Editor

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