Introduction
PRESSURE ULCERS, COMPLICATION, PRESSURE ULCER, PRESSURE ULCERS, PRESSURE ULCERS
Pressure ulcers (PU) are lesions of the skin and the subcutaneous tissues that result from continuous pressure exerted on a prominent bone (The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel [NPUAP], 2019)The need to reduce pressure ulcers (PU) in hospitalized patients with a high risk of developing these lesions has demanded the evaluation of the effectiveness of preventive strategiesHowever, conventional preventive nursing strategies for PU have been evaluated with low certainty evidence of efficacy, and only some have cost–benefit evaluation.Evaluated interventions are repositioning patients in their beds, protecting the skin with topical agents or with dressingsThe topical agents include, for example, fatty acids, olive oil, Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) cream, Conotrane, and PrevasoneAs an antecedent of the present study, we performed a PENFUP-pilot study (Prevention of Pressure Ulcers by Nursing) 2015, a retrospective cohort study. It included 170 high-risk adults admitted to a preventive skin-care program in a Third-level hospitalIn this way, the PENFUP study was planned to assess the efficacy of hydrocolloid skin dressing (HCD) protection compared to conventional care (petrolatum or petroleum jelly [Vaseline]) for reducing the incidence of PU in hospitalized adults at high risk of developing this complication. In addition, we aim to report the time to first walk during hospitalization and estimate the cost-effectiveness of skin-dressing protection.