They're the ones who'll
explain to their peers, "Here's
a rundown of everything
we're going to do for patients
and why."
Making a difference
Our medical center started
creating our pressure-injury
bundle in October 2014, and
we had all components in
place by July 2015. After
averaging about 6 per year,
we then went a full year
without a pressure injury. We
had a blip in January 2017,
when a cardiac patient
developed a pressure ulcer
on the back of the head the same size and shape as the foam dough-
nut device we'd been using for years. We've since switched to a flu-
idized positioner that redistributes the pressure by conforming to and
supporting the patient's head, thereby reducing the injury risk. Today,
from the moment a patient enters pre-op to the time they go home,
we place a heavy emphasis on protecting each patient's skin. We
couldn't say that before, and it's making a big difference in patient
outcomes.
OSM
A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 5
• GREEN LIGHT At Einstein, a patient who has a high risk of developing a pres-
sure ulcer dons a bright green bouffant cap as opposed to the standard blue.
Einstein
Medical
Center
Montgomery
Ms. Kimsey (kimseydi@einstein.edu) is a clinical educator at Einstein Medical
Center Montgomery in East Norriton, Pa.
