Background: Our objective was to describe changes in pressure injury (PI) rates in pediatric hospitals after implementation of an active surveillance and prevention bundle and to assess the impact of bundle elements.
Methods: The Children's Hospitals Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) Network is a learning collaborative working together to eliminate harm to hospitalized children. SPS used a 3-pronged approach to prevent pressure injuries: (1) active surveillance, (2) implementing and measuring compliance with the prevention bundle, and (3) deploying a wound ostomy team. Among hospitals participating since 2011 (phase 1), we used negative binomial analyses to assess change in PI rates. Only phase 1 hospitals had a baseline period before any prevention bundle intervention. Among all hospitals participating in 2013 (phases 1 and 2), we used funnel charts to assess the association between reliable bundle implementation and PI rates.
Results: Among the 33 hospitals that participated in SPS from 2011 to 2013 (phase 1), the rate of stage 3 pressure injuries declined from 0.06 to 0.03 per 1,000 patient-days (P < 0.001). Stage 4 pressure injuries declined from 0.01 to 0.004 per 1,000 patient-days (P = 0.02). Among all 78 hospitals in phases 1 and 2, the cohort that adopted each bundle element, measured compliance, and achieved 80% prevention bundle compliance had significantly lower PI rates compared with all hospitals.
Conclusions: SPS hospitals saw a significant reduction in stage 3 and 4 PIs over a 2-year period. Reliable implementation of each element of a prevention bundle was associated with lower PI rates.