Pressure injury prevention in adult critically ill patients: best practice implementation project

ABSTRACT Objective: This study assessed compliance with the best practices for pressure injury prevention among ICU patients at a tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Introduction: Intensive care patients are at high risk of developing a pressure injury; preventing this requires a best practice protocol. Method: This best practice implementation project was conducted in a Brazilian tertiary hospital in three phases following the JBI Model of Evidence-based Healthcare. Ten criteria derived from the best available evidence were audited and monitored before and after best practice implementation. Results: The baseline and follow-up audits evaluated 28 patients at each step. A total of 448 h of care were analyzed using a monitoring camera and medical records. Compliance with all 10 audited criteria increased, with a 50% reduction in the prevalence of pressure injuries in intensive care. Of the 223 employees, 71% claimed to have some knowledge of pressure injury prevention, and 66% reported adequate adherence to prevention protocols. Conclusion: The audit and feedback strategy improved compliance with the criteria. Future audits are needed to promote the sustainability of evidence-based practice.