Optimizing Nutrition Care for Pressure Injuries in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

It is estimated that up to 50% of hospitalized patients are malnourished. Malnutrition can lead to longer hospital stays, altered immune function, and impaired skin integrity and wound healing. Malnutrition has been found to be a significant factor influencing pressure injury (PI) risk and wound healing. While PI prevention requires multidimensional complex care using a variety of evidence-based strategies, hospitalized patients benefit from interventions that focus on improving oral nutrition to reduce PI risk and enhance wound healing. Unfortunately, malnutrition is often underrecognized and inadequately managed in hospitalized patients and this can lead to higher rates of complications such as PI. Recent Advances: Recent studies suggest that nutritional care has a major impact in PI prevention and management. Strategies, including early identification and management of malnutrition and provision of specially-formulated oral nutritional interventions to at-risk patients, optimization of electronic health record systems to allow for enhanced administration, monitoring, and evaluation of nutritional therapies, and implementation of protocol-based computerized decision support systems, have been reported to improve outcomes. Critical Issues: Unfortunately, there are gaps in the implementation of nutritional care in hospitals. Timely identification and management of malnutrition is needed to advance quality care for hospitalized patients and reduce malnutrition and associated PI. Future Directions: Further research on effective, evidence-based strategies for implementation of all stages of the nutrition care process is needed to reduce pressure injuries and malnutrition in hospitalized patients.

Selected Biochemical Blood Parameters and a Risk of Pressure Ulcers in Patients Receiving Treatment in Intensive Care Units

“…Measures focusing on the prevention of pressure ulcers are necessary and multidimensional. The authors particularly emphasise the benefits of adequate nutritional care and report improved progress in pressure ulcer healing in patients subjected to such measures [ 25 ].…”

Nano short peptide nutrition intervention on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19

“…The microvasculature under the small intestinal mucosa of patients with COVID-19 has serious inflammation and impaired digestion and absorption function, 5,6 which can not provide adequate nutrition for intestinal lymphocytes.Malnutrition can cause the decrease of systemic immune function. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] More than 60% of patients with COVID-19 have lymphocytopenia,and almost all patients with COVID-19 have a decrease in the absolute number of T lymphocytes,CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells. [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] The negative nitrogen balance of patients with COVID-19 was 99.34%, and the proportion was consistent with the proportion of absolute number decrease of T lymphocytes,CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells in the literature.…”

“…In the later period of treatment the incidence of lymphocytopenia in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group and literature reports.60% of human lymphocytes are distributed in the intestinal system.dipeptides and tripeptides can be actively absorbed,directly providing nutrition for intestinal lymphocytes,and improving the immune function of patients. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] These changes of prealbumin and lymphocytopenia in the treatment group may be the reason that the rehabilitation speed of the treatment group is significantly faster than that of the control group.…”

Evaluation of clinical features and the factors related to nutrition in home care patients with pressure ulcer

“…Malnutrition is one of the well-known risk factors for the development of pressure ulcers in hospitals and nursing homes [12][13][14][15]. Similarly, Lizaka et al reported that malnutrition is a risk factor for the development of pressure ulcers in patients who are under home care follow-up [16].It has been shown that providing the necessary nutritional supplements after early detection of malnutrition reduces the development of pressure ulcers and increases the healing of existing pressure injuries [15]. Hydration and nutrition play an important role in skin and tissue vitality and aid in tissue repair in pressure ulcer management [14] Therefore, appropriate screening for nutritional status, collaboration with a specialist dietitian, and appropriate nutritional support should be important aspects of pressure wound management in patients at risk [17].In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients followed by the home care services unit of Kutahya Health Sciences University and to investigate the relationship between nutrition-related laboratory values and pressure ulcer grade.…”

“…Malnutrition is one of the well-known risk factors for the development of pressure ulcers in hospitals and nursing homes [12][13][14][15]. Similarly, Lizaka et al reported that malnutrition is a risk factor for the development of pressure ulcers in patients who are under home care follow-up [16].It has been shown that providing the necessary nutritional supplements after early detection of malnutrition reduces the development of pressure ulcers and increases the healing of existing pressure injuries [15].…”