Content area
Full text
I am one of those individuals who find television advertising fascinating. Every day we are bombarded with images of the good, the bad and the desirable (which we either accept or refute depending on our own agenda, background or susceptibility). However, one advert has recently got me thinking, not about the motorcar in question, but about what we need to consider when managing pressure ulcers.
In the advert a famous footballer considers what is meant by 'va va voom'. It appears to imply that what is right for one is not necessarily right for another and that opinion varies depending on one's perspective. The same could be said of treating pressure ulcers. In particular, I am referring to the use of support surface technology. It is widely acknowledged that pressure ulcer prevention and treatment is multifactorial. Although broad guidelines may be developed, the needs of the individual must take precedence.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been set up to develop best practice and clinically effective guidelines for use in health care in England and Wales in a variety of clinical scenarios. In pressure ulcer-related issues it has chosen to develop its guidelines in three specific areas: risk assessment and prevention, pressure-relieving devices and pressure ulcer management. The first of these guidelines was released in...