Pressure injuries are largely preventable with consistent protocol adherence. Here's what evidence-based prevention looks like in practice.
Risk Assessment
Use a validated tool (like the Braden Scale) on admission and at regular intervals — risk changes as a patient's condition changes.
Repositioning Schedule
Standard guidance is repositioning every 2 hours for bed-bound patients, though individualized schedules based on tissue tolerance are increasingly recommended.
Support Surfaces
High-risk patients benefit from pressure-redistributing mattresses and cushions — a device upgrade is often more effective than repositioning alone for the highest-risk patients.
Skin Care
Keep skin clean and moisturized. Avoid vigorous rubbing over bony prominences. Use pH-balanced cleansers rather than soap.
Prophylactic Dressings
Multi-layer silicone foam dressings applied to high-risk areas (sacrum, heels) have strong evidence for reducing pressure injury incidence in vulnerable populations.
Stock prophylactic foam dressings alongside your standard wound care supplies — prevention is far less costly than treatment. Shop foam dressings →