The effect of using gel bed during the postoperative period on the development of pressure ulcer in the patients undergoing total hip replacemnt surgery

This study was conducted on the patients aged over 45, undergoing total hip replacement surgery and not having a chronic disease. It is a quasi-experimental study carried out preoperatively and postoperatively in the experimental and control group in order to examine the effect of using gel bed during the postoperative period on the development of pressure ulcer. The study data were collected from totally 80 patients, 40 patients in the control group and 40 patients in the experimental group, between the dates July 2015 and April 2016 at Adnan Menderes University Application and Research Hospital in Orthopedic Surgery Operating Room Clinic and Orthopedic Clinic. While the gel position pad covering standard operating table was being used for the patients in the experimental group during the total hip replacement surgery, standard operating table was used for the patients in the control group. Data Collection Form including the socio-demographic characteristics of the patients and Braden's Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale were used in the collection of the data. It was found that according to study results, pressure ulcer prevalence was 45% in the reanimation unit after the operation. On the third day after the operation, the pressure ulcer prevalence was found to be 25%. It was identified that first-stage pressure ulcer developed in the gluteal region in the patients whom pressure ulcer developed according to Braden's Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale. It was determined that pressure ulcer prevalence was 60% in the patients that were in the control group after the operation in the reanimation unit and it was 30% in the patients that were in the experimental group. On the third day after the operation, the pressure ulcer prevalence was found to be 12% in the control group and 8% in the experimental group. It was determined that there was a significant relationship between the development of pressure ulcer in the control and experimental group patients after the operation in the reanimation unit and age, hospitalization duration (minute), the type of anesthesia, anemia variable. It was found that there was not any relationship between height, weight, gender, diagnosis of the patient, operating room temperature, humidity, limitation of movement in the operation. It was concluded that as a result of the examination of the pressure ulcer development in the reanimation unit in the operation, using gel bed reduced the development of pressure ulcer. Key Words: Pressure Ulcer, Total Hip Replacement, Operative period patient care