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Risk factors associated with pressure ulcers in the pediatric intensive care unit

Shannon McCord1, Virginia McElvain, Ramesh Sachdeva

  • 1Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA. Sxmccord@texaschildrenshospital.org

Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing : Official Publication of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
|April 27, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Identifying pressure ulcer risk factors in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) is crucial. Key factors include edema, prolonged stay, ventilation support, immobility, and weight loss.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Nursing research
  • Patient safety

Background:

  • Pressure ulcers pose a significant risk to critically ill children.
  • Early identification of risk factors is essential for prevention strategies in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the risk factors associated with the development of pressure ulcers in children admitted to the PICU.
  • To compare risk factors between pediatric patients with and without pressure ulcers.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study was conducted in a 30-bed PICU.
  • 59 patients who developed pressure ulcers were compared with 59 critically ill patients who did not.
  • A 45-indicator assessment tool and the Braden scale were utilized for data collection.

Main Results:

  • Edema (P = .0016), length of stay > 96 hours (P = .001), increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (P = .002), immobility (no turning or specialty bed in turning mode) (P = .0001), and weight loss (P < .0001) were significant risk factors.
  • These factors were statistically associated with pressure ulcer development.

Conclusions:

  • Edema, prolonged PICU stay, higher positive end-expiratory pressure, immobility, and weight loss are key risk factors for pressure ulcers in pediatric patients.
  • These findings highlight critical areas for targeted prevention interventions in the PICU setting.
Abstract

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