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Pressure Ulcer References	How to get involved with the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel? Many UK tissue viability workers have asked me how they best get involved with the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP)? Active participation within this association seemed challenging for many and appeared to be only possible if you were elected as a Trustee of the charity. Under the rules governing the appointment of Trustees only a limited number of places were available for trustees from a single country. Given the number of UK Trustees this route towards involvement appeared to be blocked to UK potential trustees until the rotation of trustees allowed a UK participant to stand for election. In fact one UK participant could be elected as a new Trustee this year. However there are many more ways to get involved with the EPUAP that being a Trustee! Much of the activity of the EPUAP is conducted through working groups which meet during the year to conduct actions agreed by the EPUAP Trustees - much of the working groups' activities being executed via e-mail limiting the time you have to invest outside the work place. At present there are active working groups exploring nutrition and pressure ulcers, repositioning, pressure ulcer classification among other topics. If you want to find out more about the working groups and how you could get involved contact the EPUAP Business Office at www.epuap.org for further details. Presently the EPUAP (along with the United States National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel) are hard at work on new pressure ulcer guidelines with the EPUAP taking the lead on the development of a prevention guideline. This is a major undertaking for both associations and in fact the EPUAP have funded the appointment of a researcher part-time to undertake the management of this initiative underlining the commitment of the EPUAP to this process. Readers of this newsletter can get involved in a number of ways with this project primarily through registering as stakeholders and so having the ability to comment upon early drafts of the guideline documentation and recommendation. To sign up as a stakeholder all you need to do is go to http://www.pressureulcerguidelines.org/ and follow the sign up process. Please take the time to complete this process to ensure that the UK has a strong voice within the international mix of tissue viability workers involved in this important project. For readers of this newsletter from the commercial sector please consider whether your organisation could make a contribution to the costs of this project? Guidance upon support from the commercial sector to help EPUAP meet its challenging targets for the development of the guideline can be obtained from the EPUAP Business Office www.epuap.org . Michael Clark Editor

References This month's pressure ulcer references were drawn from new publications currently in process of being added to MEDLINE. It is interesting to see some initial unease over the EPUAP's differentiation between superficial pressure ulcers and abrasions resulting from prolonged contact with moisture. This is a debate which is likely to grow over coming months as both the EPUAP and the NPUAP reassess their classification of pressure ulcers. Allam RC. Micronized, particulate dermal matrix to manage a non-healing pressure ulcer with undermined wound edges: a case report. Ostomy Wound Management 2007;53(4):78-82. Anonymous. The effect of a pressure ulcer prevention program and the bowel management system in reducing pressure ulcer prevalence in an ICU setting. Journal of Wound, Ostomy, & Continence Nursing 2007;34(2):176-7. Baharestani MM, Ratliff CR. Pressure ulcers in neonates and children: an NPUAP white paper. Advances in Skin & Wound Care 2007;20(4):208. Black J, Baharestani MM, Cuddigan J, Dorner B, Edsberg L, Langemo D, et al. National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel's updated pressure ulcer staging system. Advances in Skin & Wound Care 2007;20(5):269-74. Bolton LB, Donaldson NE, Rutledge DN, Bennett C, Brown DS. The impact of nursing interventions: overview of effective interventions, outcomes, measures, and priorities for future research. Medical Care Research & Review 2007;64(2 Suppl):123S-43S. Cannon L. Nutrition also plays a role in pressure ulcer therapy. RN 2007;70(4):10. Capon A, Pavoni N, Mastromattei A, Di Lallo D. Pressure ulcer risk in long-term units: prevalence and associated factors. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2007;58(3):263-72. Farid KJ. Applying observations from forensic science to understanding the development of pressure ulcers. Ostomy Wound Management 2007;53(4):26-8. Gefen A. Risk factors for a pressure-related deep tissue injury: a theoretical model. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing 2007;45(6):563-73. Houwing RH, Arends JW, Canninga-van Dijk MR, Koopman E, Haalboom JR. Is the distinction between superficial pressure ulcers and moisture lesions justifiable? A clinical-pathologic study. SKINmed 2007;6(3):113-7. Hulsenboom MA, Bours GJ, Halfens RJ. Knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention: a cross-sectional and comparative study among nurses. BMC Nursing 2007;6:2. Inui S, Harada T, Nakajima T, Itami S. Two cases of pressure ulcer healing after liver transplantation in cirrhosis patients. Journal of Dermatology 2007;34(6):400-2. Linder-Ganz E, Shabshin N, Itzchak Y, Gefen A. Assessment of mechanical conditions in sub-dermal tissues during sitting: A combined experimental-MRI and finite element approach. Journal of Biomechanics 2007;40(7):1443-54. Lyder C. The use of technology for improved pressure ulcer prevention. Ostomy Wound Management 2007;53(4):14-6. Meijers JM, Schols JM, Jackson PA, Langer G, Clark M, Halfens RJ. Evaluation of the dissemination and implementation of a nutritional guideline for pressure ulcer care. Journal of Wound Care 2007;16(5):201-5. Pancorbo-Hidalgo PL, Garcia-Fernandez FP, Lopez-Medina IM, Lopez-Ortega J. Pressure ulcer care in Spain: nurses' knowledge and clinical practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2007;58(4):327-38. Spilsbury K, Nelson A, Cullum N, Iglesias C, Nixon J, Mason S. Pressure ulcers and their treatment and effects on quality of life: hospital inpatient perspectives. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2007;57(5):494-504. Vanderwee K, Grypdonck MH, De Bacquer D, Defloor T. Effectiveness of turning with unequal time intervals on the incidence of pressure ulcer lesions. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2007;57(1):59-68. Walsh JS, Plonczynski DJ. Evaluation of a protocol for prevention of facility-acquired heel pressure ulcers. Journal of Wound, Ostomy, & Continence Nursing 2007;34(2):178-83. Yapucu Gune U, Eer I. Effectiveness of a honey dressing for healing pressure ulcers. Journal of Wound, Ostomy, & Continence Nursing 2007;34(2):184-90. Download this newsletter in PDF format

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