Silicone Foam Dressing for Prevention of Sacral Deep Tissue Injuries Among Cardiac Surgery Patients

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: 

To evaluate the effect of silicone foam dressings, placed preoperatively, on the incidence of postoperative sacral deep-tissue pressure injuries.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: 

An uncontrolled before-and-after quality improvement method was used. Within a single, urban academic medical center, consecutively admitted adult cardiac surgery patients were included in the pre- and postintervention groups; only those receiving elective procedures were included.

INTERVENTION: 

Nurses applied a sacral silicone foam dressing preoperatively. This dressing was maintained on the patient’s sacrum intraoperatively and postoperatively for up to 5 days in the intensive care and step-down units.

MAIN RESULTS: 

This project demonstrated a clinically significant decrease (P < .02) in the incidence of postoperative sacral deep-tissue pressure injuries from 2.3% (preintervention, n = 300) to 0% (postintervention, n = 224). These results were sustained for 24 months after the trial was completed.

CONCLUSIONS: 

The use of silicone foam dressings may be an effective prophylactic intervention to reduce the incidence of perioperative deep-tissue pressure injuries among cardiac surgery patients, a high-risk population.