Medical Device–Related Pressure Injuries During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) account for more than 30% of all hospital-acquired pressure injuries. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a large population of patients at risk for MDRPIs due to prolonged intubation and prone positioning. We reviewed our experience with MDRPIs during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic at an Academic Medical Center. CASES: We evaluated 30 cases of MDRPIs acquired during the peak of our pandemic, April 1 to May 31, 2020, and compared these to injuries seen over a similar time period prior to the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our experiences with MDRPIs during this time has led the WOC team to begin development of a quality improvement project aimed at improving management of high-risk respiratory illness patients requiring intubation and prone positioning.