Use of pressure ulcer treatment guidelines by nurses from a general hospital

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the usage frequency of pressure ulcer (PU) treatment guidelines by nurses from a general hospital in the countryside of São Paulo State/ Brazil. It is a cross-sectional and descriptive research with quantitative data analysis. A sample of 25 nurses was used. For data collection, an instrument was used, constructed on the basis of PU treatment guidelines. The questions were related to the intervention types used by the nurses for treating PU in stage I, II, with necrosis and with granulation tissue. For stage I PU, 24 (96%) nurses always changed the patient’s position. In stage II ulcers, 10 (40%) nurses always used vegetable oils on the wound, while 12 (57.1%) nurses never used hydrocolloid dressings. In PU with necrosis, 4 (17.4%) nurses sometimes used povidine for cleaning. For debridement, 16 (64%) sometimes used papain and 15 (71.4%) sometimes used collagenases. In ulcers with granulation tissue, 25 (100%) nurses always used physiological serum. Varying practices were found, as well as lack of adhesion to the guidelines.