Pressure ulcer risk following critical traumatic injury

Previously healthy, critically injured survivors of serious trauma are at risk for developing pressure ulcers. A prospective, descriptive, clinical research study was designed to identify the factors associated with the incidence, number, stage, and location of pressure ulcers and to assess the predictive validity of the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk in this population. A sample of 36 patients was assessed biweekly throughout hospitalization and showed a pressure ulcer incidence of 30.6%. The small sample size in this study precludes generalization of results. However, several findings have potential implications for clinical practice if they can be replicated in larger studies. Total Braden Scale scores were lower for all assessment points in all subjects who developed pressure ulcers. Subscale scores varied in predictive ability from 100% to 0%. Logistic regression using the first two assessment points produced a model that combined mobility and moisture subscale scores. This model correctly predicted 77.78% of those subjects who developed pressure ulcers.