A randomised controlled trial of the clinical effectiveness of multi-layer silicone foam dressings for the prevention of pressure injuries in high-risk aged care residents: The Border III Trial

Pressure injuries are prevalent in highly dependent aged care residents. This study investigated the clinical effectiveness of the application of the Mepilex Border Sacrum and Mepilex Heel dressings to prevent the development of facility-acquired pressure injuries. A total of 288 recently admitted residents were enrolled from 40 Australian nursing homes into a randomised controlled trial. Residents randomised to standard care (n = 150) received pressure injury prevention as recommended by international guidelines. Residents randomised to the intervention (n = 138) received standard pressure injury prevention care and had dressings applied to their sacrum and heels. Participants were comparable on demographic and physiological parameters. More residents in the control group developed pressure injuries than in the intervention group (16 vs 3, P = 0.004), and they developed more pressure injuries in total than residents in the intervention group. The results represent a relative risk reduction of 80% for residents treated with the dressings and for every 12 patients that we treated we prevented one pressure injury. Based on our findings, we conclude that the use of the Mölnlycke Mepilex Border Sacrum and Mepilex Heel dressings confers a significant additional protective benefit to nursing home residents with a high risk of developing a facility-acquired pressure injury.