Title : Facial pressure ulcers incidence within pandemic in critical care depts. Are there feasible strategies to prevent this complication?
Abstract:
The last 2 years after breakout of Covid pandemic there have been reported and published skin integrity complications mostly in critical care departments covid infected patients. International literature highlights the spread per 57% of facial pressure ulcer development, as consequence of critical care patient prone position, basic therapeutic element which minimize respiratory distress and reduce possible atelectasis presence. Increased number of hospitalized covid patients entering ICU on the onset of pandemic led to prolong hospital stay and cohort measures. On the other hand, mechanical force (mostly because of pressure >32mmHg and shear) in face (cheek), ears and chest area maximized magnitude of skin complication and put extra stress to intensivists and critical care dept. staff of how they could avoid skin damage without discounting lung therapy and patient discharge.
Aim of presentation is to sum up worldwide literature around FPU’s incidence and impact, explaining critical care environment limitation for prevention of skin complications and feasible treatment options. Moreover, taking into consideration covid generated issues such as quality of health services within critical care, staff need for minimal contacts to avoid cross-contamination, possible lack of medical consumables and low skin integrity protocol compliance due to understaffing and difficulty in inspection of patient skin status.
It is suggested from clinicians that tackling FPU’s in critical care to be a special focus prior to prone positioning including increase of skin protocol compliance, improved preventative measures, assess patients with fragile skin or malnourished, ensure offloading and redistribution of pressure. Finally, active involvement of more medical professions in critical care dept with expertise around skin complications to those areas such as ENT, Dermatologists and Wound Specialists would help dept. to report lower FPU’s incidence rate.
Audience Take Away:
- Audience will be able to implement take away messages around strategic prevention of FPU’s in critical care by following a specific bundle of care around skin integrity during prone position
- Presentation will provide insights and condensed knowledge on how to protect skin at risk covid patients without jeopardizing respiratory therapy.
- Audience will be able to review robust up-to-date evidence and clarify available and feasible solutions by classifying initial and final steps of their future prevention FPUs strategy.
- Audience will have the opportunity to hear a wound expert with over of 13 years’ experience in acute and chronic/ hard-to-heal wounds, former ICU Nurse well established in regional level among peers.
