This monograph is designed to assist clinicians with pressure ulcer prevention. The Agency for Health Care Policy Research, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is developing a set of clinical practice Guidelines with the intent of assisting health care providers and patients to determine appropriate care for specific clinical conditions. A guideline for detecting and treating urinary incontinence was released earlier in 1992. A guideline on treatment of pressure ulcers is currently being developed.
Early intervention is designed for patients at increased risk for pressure ulcer development.
However, in some cases it is unrealistic, and may even be in conflict with the overall plan of care or patient directives for a terminally ill patient, to subject the patient to aggressive preventive measures. Pressure ulcers can be an indication of the multi-system failure that accompanies the terminal stages of many disease processes. In these cases, patient comfort should be the primary goal. Pressure ulcer incidence has been used as an indicator of the quality of patient care. Is important that incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers be differentiated.