Introduction: Pressure injuries result from prolonged pressure on a body part or frequent short-term pressures on the same point. Critically ill children hospitalized in intensive care units are at a higher risk of developing pressure injuries due to their age, medical condition, and treatment methods. Purpose: The aim of this diploma thesis is to present the prevention of pressure injury in critically ill children in pediatric intensive care units, to identify the most common sites of pressure injury occurrence by age and to examine measures for preventing pressure injurie development in critically ill children in pediatric intensive care units Methods: This diploma thesis utilized a descriptive research method with a review of professional and scientific literature. The search was conducted in the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Mendeley, Google Scholar. Results: Premature neonates have the thinnest and most sensitive skin, making them most vulnerable to pressure injurie development. They also face the highest risk of medical device-related pressure injuries. In younger children, the head, specifically the occiput, is the most exposed area for pressure injury development. Among the measures for pressure injurie prevention are: assessing risk factors (nurses perform assessment using a validated scale), regular repositioning in bed, using appropriate positioning aids and mattress overlays for the age group, regular changing of medical devices, and consistent skin assessment. Discussion and conclusion: Preventing pressure injurie development begins even before a child's admission to intensive care with bed preparation, and continues upon admission with observation, assessment, and elimination of risk factors. Nurses must understand skin characteristics and be able to critically evaluate how to prevent pressure injurie development. The literature review revealed the need for further research in the field of protective dressings specifically designed for the pediatric population, and a scarcity of research on skin structure in children beyond the neonatal period.
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