Get the pressure down

Getting started on their research are Barb Williams (ICU), Monica Stankiewicz, Anita Weier (ICU) and Jodie Gordon.

Getting the best outcome for some of our most vulnerable patients is the driving force behind some contemporary research being carried out in the Redcliffe Hospital Intensive Care Unit.

Chief Investigator Jodie Gordon, with Research Assistants Monica Stankiewicz and Wendy Brown, are researching the efficacy of special bandages used in the prevention of pressure injuries in patients who are critically ill.

Jodie says patients in ICU are the sickest within our hospital and are often given medications which can leave the skin vulnerable to pressure injuries which can be difficult to treat.

“In the past there have been a number of randomised controlled trials to support the use of dressing verses no dressing, but there is little evidence showing a comparison between different types of dressing.”

“Different patients in the study will be treated with different products during the 12 month study,” Jodie says.

ICU staff including the Clinical Director, Nurse Unit Manager, Medical Officers and Nursing Staff are fully backing the research and have been instrumental in identifying vulnerable patients and filling out the necessary forms to ensure the study’s success.

The study aims to assist clinicians in making an informed choice regarding the most effective dressings being used in ICU and other areas of the hospital where patients may be prone to pressure injury.