New research from Smith & Nephew ($SNN) showed that hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) could be significantly decreased via an ulcer prevention program which included the use of a silicone foam dressing.
The study--which was conducted in an adult intensive care unit at Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis between 2012-13--showed the prevention program resulted in a 69% decrease of HAPUs. This in turn could have potentially resulted in almost $1 million saved for Eskenazi, the announcement said.
Allevyn Life is a silicone foam dressing which can also be used to treat or prevent pressure ulcers. Thanks to the positive results, Eskenazi has approved a hospital-wide rollout of the HAPU prevention program.
“This study validates the need for a comprehensive, proactive, collaborative prevention program in hospitals,” said Rachel Culpepper, a registered nurse at Eskenazi Health, in the announcement. “Although it is difficult to isolate the effects of individual program components, silicone foam dressings can complement an existing pressure ulcer prevention program, and are believed to contribute to the reduction in HAPUs.”
As part of the HAPU prevention program, staff at Eskenazi were educated on the tech and were to adhere to specific protocols for patient care. The announcement noted that both are a proven part for the program to be effective in reducing HAPUs in the ICU.
- here's the press release
Related Articles:
GE tech hub develops innovative handheld probe for bedsore monitoring
Hospital requires use of wireless, wearable sensors to prevent bedsores