Investigating the Efficacy of Hydrocolloid Dressing for Preventing Nasotracheal Tube-Related Pressure Injury in the PICU

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of hydrocolloid dressing in reducing the occurrence rate and severity of nasotracheal tube-related pressure injury. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: A PICU in a tertiary medical center in southern China. Patients: Pediatric patients received invasive mechanical ventilation via nasotracheal tubes. Interventions: The hydrocolloid dressing was cut into an optimal square size, which should cover the area from the nasal columella to the ala. Measurements and Main Results: Eligible participants were randomly allocated to the control group and the experimental group. The participants in the experimental group received hydrocolloid dressing to protect nasal skin from the beginning of nasotracheal intubation, while the participants in the control group received the current care procedure (without hydrocolloid dressing) unless pressure injuries occurred. The hydrocolloid dressing was changed daily to assess the nasal skin. The pressure injury staging system that was redefined and updated by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel in 2016 was used. The mean duration of nasotracheal intubation was 150.10 ± 117.09 hours in the experimental group and 161.75 ± 120.72 hours in the control group. Forty-five participants had nasotracheal tube-related pressure injuries in control group, whereas 26 patients had in experimental group (72.6% vs 43.3%; absolute difference, 29.3%, 95% CI, 12.5–46%; p = 0.001). The median survival times of the nasal skin integrity were 95.5 hours in the control group and 219.5 hours in the experimental group ( p < 0.001). Conclusions: Hydrocolloid dressing can not only reduce the occurrence rate of nasotracheal tube-related pressure injury in the child with long-term nasotracheal intubation but also improve the endurance of the nasal skin significantly.