New AORN Guideline for Prevention of Perioperative Pressure Injury
New evidence-based practices have been released in the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Preventing Pressure Injury guidelines (effective as of May 17, 2022).¹
According to AORN, “the recommendations in the guideline are intended to be achievable and represent what is believed to be an optimal level of practice.”
Some key pressure injury prevention takeaways from the new guidelines include the consideration of skin temperature assessment for darkly pigmented skin and improved skin perfusion assessment.
If you’re interested in learning more, AORN’s Pressure Injury Prevention guidelines are available to members and can be found in their Guideline Essentials. You can also check out the “10 New Practices to Protect Patients from Positioning Injuries” in AORN’s Periop Today Newsletter.
And for additional information on evidence-based guidelines related to pressure injury prevention, check out the 2019 Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG)2, which also recognizes the significant role temperature plays in skin and tissue assessment.
Recommendation 7.4.1: Consider Patient Skin Tone to Identify Pressure Injury
Overview: Consider skin tone variances when assessing patients’ skin for signs of pressure injury after surgery. Patients with darkly pigmented skin should be assessed by checking the patient’s skin temperature, and the presence of edema, induration, and pain. (abbr.)
Relative skin temperature changes over areas of ischemia
can present as colder than surrounding skin and tissue.2
Relative skin temperature changes over areas of ischemia
can present as colder than surrounding skin and tissue.2
Recommendation 7.4.2: Improve Skin Assessment
Overview: Long-wave infrared thermography is a non-contact, noninvasive method for measuring temperature differences between adjacent and injured skin by creating a two-dimensional image that demonstrates warm tissue, which is well perfused, or cold tissue, which is not. (abbr.)
Relative skin temperature changes over areas of inflammation
can present as warmer than surrounding skin and tissue.2
Relative skin temperature changes over areas of ischemia
can present as colder than surrounding skin and tissue.2
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