Conclusion
Standard turning by experienced ICU nurses does not reliably
unload all areas of high skin-bed interface pressures. These
areas remain at risk for skin breakdown, and help explain
why pressure ulcers occur despite the implementation of
standard preventive measures, such as scheduled turning of
patients. Additionally, support materials for maintaining
lateral turned positions can influence tissue unloading and
triple jeopardy areas, and need to be further evaluated to
improve care.
Further study is needed to evaluate actual patients at risk of
developing pressure ulcers and to establish methods to
achieve optimum positioning to reduce – and even eliminate
– the triple jeopardy areas, peak interface pressures and
overall at-risk areas. In addition, clinical studies are needed to
determine whether patients with large areas of triple jeopardy