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WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT PRESSURE ULCER CARE--A LOT A current count shows there are seven--count 'em, seven--clinical practice guidelines on pressure ulcer care: "Pressure Ulcer Prevention" and "Pressure Ulcer Treatment," both available from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality "Pressure Ulcers" and "Pressure Ulcer Therapy Companion," both available from the American Medical Directors Association "Prevention of Pressure Ulcers," by and available from the Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center, Research Dissemination Core "Guideline for the Prevention and Management of Pressure Ulcers," by and available from the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society, Glenview, IL. "Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment following Spinal Cord Injury: A Clinical Practice Guideline for Health-Care Professionals," by and available from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Washington, D.C. There also are three validated, published pressure ulcer risk assessment instruments available: Braden Scale Gosnell Scale Norton Scale In addition, there are two evidence-based wound assessment tools to choose from: PUSH Tool 3.0, available free from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (formerly the Pressure Sore Status Tool), available free on this website. These guidelines and tools are a testament to how much we know about how best to prevent, treat, and manage pressure ulcers (PU), or the lesions "caused by unrelieved pressure resulting in damage of underlying tissue (1)." Clearly we know a lot. (prev | next)

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