Preveni Blog
Pressure injury prevention glossary
We have gathered the definitions of the main terms about pressure injury prevention and patient position monitoring. Use it as a quick reference while reading the blog articles.
- Pressure injury
- Damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on an area of the body, common in bedridden patients or those with reduced mobility. Also called a decubitus ulcer or bedsore.
- Decubitus ulcer (bedsore)
- Other names for pressure injury. Bedsore is the everyday term; decubitus ulcer highlights the link with time spent in the same position.
- Patient position
- The position in which the patient lies: supine (on the back), lateral (on the side) or prone (face down). Changing the patient's position at regular intervals is the main preventive measure.
- Repositioning
- Changing the patient's position at regular intervals to redistribute pressure on the skin and tissue, reducing the risk of pressure injury.
- Protocol adherence
- The degree to which the team performs position changes within the prescribed intervals. The higher the adherence, the lower the incidence of pressure injuries.
- DecSense
- Preveni's wearable IoT sensor, attached to the chest, which measures the patient's position and the time spent in each position in real time, cross-checks it against the nursing care plan and alerts the team when it is time to reposition.