Improving pressure ulcer care in intensive care units:Evaluating the impact of bundled care and silver nanoparticle dressings

BACKGROUND Pressure ulcer(PU)are prevalent among critically ill trauma patients,posing substantial risks.Bundled care strategies and silver nanoparticle dressings offer potential solutions,yet their combined effectiveness and impact on patient satisfaction remain insufficiently investigated.AIM To assess the impact of bundled care along with silver nanoparticle dressing on PUs management and family satisfaction in critically ill trauma patients.METHODS A total of 98 critically ill trauma patients with PUs in intensive care unit(ICU)were included in this study.Patients were randomly assigned to either the control group(conventional care with silver nanoparticle dressing,n=49)or the intervention group(bundled care with silver nanoparticle dressing,n=49).The PU Scale for Healing(PUSH)tool was used to monitor changes in status of pressure injuries over time.Assessments were conducted at various time points:Baseline(day 0)and subsequent assessments on day 3,day 6,day 9,and day 12.Family satisfaction was assessed using the Family Satisfaction ICU 24 ques-tionnaire.RESULTS No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between the two groups.In the intervention group,there were significant reductions in total PUSH scores over the assessment period.Specifically,surface area,exudate,and tissue type parameters all showed significant improvements compared to the control group.Family satisfaction with care and decision-making was notably higher in the intervention group.Overall family satisfaction was significantly better in the intervention group.CONCLUSION Bundled care in combination with silver nanoparticle dressings effectively alleviated PUs and enhances family satisfaction in critically ill trauma patients.This approach holds promise for improving PUs management in the ICU,benefiting both patients and their families.

How well are families doing?A description of family well-being in South Africa

Objective:The purpose of this study was to describe the well-being of a sample of families from low socioeconomic communities in the Western Cape South Africa in terms of family resil-ience,family satisfaction,parenting styles,family structure and family functioning.Methods:The study used a descriptive survey design and sampled 358 adult family members.Results:The results indicate that although family functioning is challenged,parents are per-ceived to be using an authoritative parenting style and having a father present enhances family sat-isfaction.The results also describe families as displaying low-to-average levels of family resilience.Conclusion:This study provides a descriptive study of a sample of families in the Western Cape,South Africa.Overall the families in this study are not doing very well.The implications and significance of these findings are further explained.