Novel move leaves patients rest assured

A SIMPLE change in how long-term patients are repositioned in bed has led to a fourfold decrease in pressure ulcers, otherwise known as bed sores.

A technique devised by Zena Moore, a practising nurse, involves using pillows to achieve a 30-degree tilt which lessens the pressure that occurs when patients lie on their sides for a long period of time.

Ms Moore said introducing the technique to the 12 care-of-the-elderly sites in the State alone would save about €250,000 a year in staff and wound-dressing costs.

“This is based solely on the number of patients who would require repositioning in the 12 hospitals which participated in our research. If you extended this out across the HSE, it could introduce significant savings and efficiencies,” she said.

The 30-degree tilt method needs just one health professional to implement, while the traditional method of turning patients every six hours requires two people.

The problem of bed sores is one that affects elderly patients in particular, especially those who have been immobilised by a broken hip.

About a quarter of patients in such situations are exposed to the development of pressure ulcers, which is one of the most common complications of a broken leg.

A 30-degree tilt is achieved using five pillows to support the back, the neck and particularly the heel where pressure ulcers often occur. The technique alleviates pressure on the sacrum area around the hip where the worst pressure ulcers can occur.

Ms Moore, whose work was funded by the Health Research Board, found that those who were given standard care were four times more likely to develop pressure ulcers in comparison with those who used the technique she developed.

She said the positioning of long-stay patients had been an under-researched area, despite the problems caused by pressure sores.

“Pressure ulcers are not considered to be ‘sexy’ in comparison with MRSA or cancer therapy or cardiovascular disease, but at the end of the day a lot of people are exposed to them,” she said. She is sending the results to the hospitals where she carried out the study with a view to having her findings introduced in at least one of the locations where the technique was pioneered.

Ms Moore, who is president of the European Wound Management Association, said: “This method is less time consuming, requires fewer nursing staff and it is more cost effective when compared with standard care. We’re in a position to effect change not just in Ireland, but in Europe and the rest of the world also.”