None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Pressure ulcer development is a significant risk for hospitalised patients and health care facilities. Pressure ulcer related costs in Australia have been estimated at $285 M per annum. Preventative measures are generally based on estimating the patient’s risk, using screening tools such as the Waterlow scale. Despite the widespread use of the Waterlow scale as an intervention to prevent pressure ulcers, its effectiveness has never been tested using rigorous methods. We propose to conduct a three group, single centred randomised controlled trial to compare the Waterlow Scale, with a simpler, one item measure; and with clinical judgement. We will also investigate risk factors for pressure ulcer development in an acute hospital setting.
Interventions
There are two interventions which will be compared with standard practice. The first is not using any instrument to assess pressure ulcer risk. Patients in this group will not be screened and there will be no pressure ulcer screening instrument in their medical record. The second group will be screened on admission and weekly thereafter until hospital discharge using the Ramstatius tool, which contains only one question related to the patients ability to turn independently. Nurses will receive i
There are two interventions which will be compared with standard practice. The first is not using any instrument to assess pressure ulcer risk. Patients in this group will not be screened and there will be no pressure ulcer screening instrument in their medical record. The second group will be screened on admission and weekly thereafter until hospital discharge using the Ramstatius tool, which contains only one question related to the patients ability to turn independently. Nurses will receive information about the instrument and advised to follow instructions on the form for frequency of re-screening. The study will be conducted over a 12-month period
Sponsors
Joan Webster
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Newly admitted to an Internal Medicine ward - Anticipated length of stay of at least 3 days - Not having darkly pigmented skin
Exclusion criteria
Must be free of pressure ulcers on admission
Outcome results
None listed