Anti Falls Device in Pediatric Intensive Care: Description of a Successful Innovative Experience Led by Nursing Personnel in Tertiary Hospital Care in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction. Falls are adverse events that risk the integrity of those who suffer from them. Despite the limited evidence of its effectiveness, some restrictive and non-restrictive movement limitation devices have been implemented to prevent falls in critically ill children in intensive care. This article aims to describe the design of a preventive and non-restrictive movement harness for intra-hospital falls in children called “kangaroo- anti-fall”, created by nursing professionals in a pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit at the Cardioinfantil Foundation-Cardiology Institute. Reflection topics. Through a reflective approach, a description of the device materials, method of use, personnel who administer it, eligibility criteria, implementation of the device, scope, and perception of personnel and family members regarding its use are presented. Conclusions. One pillar of patient safety is fall prevention in pediatric populations hospitalized in intensive care units. The construction of an anti-fall device applied to this population is an innovative strategy designed by nursing staff to answer the continuous quality improvement of institutional care.