Researchers from the ibs.GRANADA carry out an essay published in a European journal
Professionals from the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Granada have carried out an investigation on the frequency of postural changes in seriously ill patients who require the assistance of an artificial ventilator. This clinical trial, promoted by the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada, has recently been published in the European journal Intensive Care Medicine. This study, led by doctors and nursing staff from the Critical Care Unit, consisted of comparing mobilization every two hours versus every four hours, on the development of pressure ulcers as a protective effect and complications during mobilization as adverse events.
To date, the recommended frequency for these patients was established in every two hours. With this, it was possible to reduce the appearance of pressure ulcers, that is, the appearance of skin lesions due to weight and friction, compared to other more conservative guidelines, every four hours or more. But the studies on which the recommendations were based had been carried out in the days of the old contact surfaces (mattresses and covers). Advances in mattress manufacturing technology have allowed them to be the ones that make, by modifying the amount of air in the cells that compose it, the surface of the skin on which the pressure of the mattress is exerted is rotated. body weight.
On the other hand, mobilization is related to the possibility of complications, derived from the existence of multiple devices (catheters, probes, tubes) that these patients require. The trial results show that mobilization every four hours is associated with fewer device-related adverse events, with the same pressure ulcer rate. In addition, the time and effort devoted to this task by the nursing staff can be used in other activities for the care of the sick.
The work, directed by doctors Francisco Manzano and Manuel Colmenero, has been funded by the Carlos III Health Institute and FEDER Funds of the European Union, being an example of independent clinical research as it has not received sponsorship from the industry.
The ICU research team of the two university hospitals in Granada, made up of medical and nursing staff, is also a reference in the development of pressure ulcer prediction tools in ICU patients. Thus, the nurse Angel Cobos has patented and validated a scale (COMHON) that has recently obtained the best results among those commonly used in the ICU, in an international validation study.