Management of tissue load: An excerpt from the third NPUAP Slide Set. National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.

In 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) published Treatment of Pressure Ulcers, a clinical practice guideline that provides a comprehensive program for treating individuals with Stages II through IV pressure ulcers. The treatment program outlined in the AHCPR treatment guideline includes: assessment of the patient and pressure ulcer(s), tissue load management, ulcer care, management of bacterial colonization and infection, consideration of operative repair, and education and quality improvement. This excerpt from the NPUAP CE Program 2 (Slide Set #3) addresses issues related to tissue load management such as positioning and repositioning, head-of-the-bed elevation, selection of support surfaces, and moisture considerations.