First line of management is to identify at risk individuals
Not everyone under ones care will be at risk for developing a pressure ulcer. Most people have the ability to shift their weight enough to take the pressure off whenever discomfort sets in. By doing so, they lower their risk of having tissue damage. However, some patients have a reduced ability or no ability at all to either recognize when ischemia (restricted blood flow to an area) is occurring, or to move themselves to relieve the pressure. To determine who is at risk, the nurse must conduct a risk assessment for each patient upon admittance to your facility or care. The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk is a
widely used validated tool for assessing patient risk. It takes into account all of the factors above.