Pressure Injuries: Prevention and Management
Course Overview
Pressure injuries are among the most common conditions encountered in patients who suffer prolonged hospitalization or require long-term institutional care. The prevalence varies widely by clinical setting, age, and geographical region. Although generally preventable, not all pressure injuries can be classified as preventable or potentially curable, due to impaired blood circulation, sensory loss, and immobility, causing some patients to become more vulnerable to them. Several dynamics give rise to the occurrence of pressure injuries, but compression leading to ischemia is the ultimate communal culprit. Furthermore, cognitive impairment of some patients has made some preventive measures extremely challenging to employ. This course will outline the etiology, pathogenesis, identification, prevention, and treatment of pressure injuries in any practice setting.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Discuss the epidemiology, etiology, and pathogenesis of pressure injuries.
- Identify patients at risk based on extrinsic and intrinsic factors important to pathogenesis.
- Recognize and define the severity and progression of pressure injuries by stage.
- Analyze techniques available for the diagnosis of pressure injuries.
- Develop an effective strategy for skin care and prevention of pressure injuries.
- Choose appropriate options for wound cleansing, debridement, and dressing based on wound types.
- Manage other aspects of the care of patients with pressure injuries, including pain management and infectious complications.
- Create individual treatment plans based on patient characteristics and pressure injury stage.
- Identify the qualities of a pressure injury that should be monitored.
- Outline possible complications and comorbidities of pressure injuries and their treatment.
- Describe the medico-legal aspects of pressure injuries and the significance of correct documentation and patient education.
About the Author/Presenter
John M. Leonard, MD, Professor of Medicine Emeritus, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, completed his post-graduate clinical training at the Yale and Vanderbilt University Medical Centers before joining the Vanderbilt faculty in 1974. He is a clinician-educator and for many years served as director of residency training and student educational programs for the Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine. Over a career span of 40 years, Dr. Leonard conducted an active practice of general internal medicine and an inpatient consulting practice of infectious diseases.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Physician
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