Pressure sore prevention in a hospice.

This study investigated the influence on the number of pressure sores developing in patients nursed in a hospice when three levels of pressure support were used in association with a risk assessment tool. The study was designed as phase one of an epidemiological study examining the use of a modified Norton scoring system. This was followed by a second phase of the study, when patients were allocated to pressure sore support systems according to their risk assessment score. A total of 327 patients entered, 223 in phase one and 104 in phase two. A significant reduction in the development of pressure sores was observed in the second phase of the study.