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Risk factors for pressure ulcers
Seray Külcü Cakmak1, Ulker Gül, Sumru Ozer
1Dermatology Clinic, Ministery of Health Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Incontinent patients, especially those who smoke or have anemia, face higher risks of developing pressure ulcers (PrUs). Early assessment and preventative measures for these risk factors are crucial for immobilized individuals.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare research
- Clinical nursing
- Patient safety
Background:
- Pressure ulcers (PrUs) are a persistent challenge across healthcare settings.
- Identifying risk factors is essential for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of risk factors associated with pressure ulcer development in immobilized patients.
- To compare risk factor profiles between patients with and without pressure ulcers.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 32 immobilized inpatients with PrUs and 30 immobilized controls without PrUs.
- Data collection included physical examinations, medical history, disease assessment, incontinence status, pressure-reducing surface use, and repositioning frequency.
- Biochemical and hematologic blood tests were conducted for all participants.
Main Results:
- Key risk factors identified in patients with PrUs included stool and urinary incontinence (81.2%), smoking (46.8%), and hypoalbuminemia (46.8%).
- Smoking and incontinence were significantly more prevalent in the PrU group compared to controls.
- Absence of pressure-reducing bed use and infrequent repositioning were also linked to PrU development.
Conclusions:
- Stool/urinary incontinence, smoking, anemia, inadequate pressure-reducing bed use, and infrequent repositioning are significant risk factors for PrUs.
- Immobilized patients require thorough risk factor assessment to implement preventative measures.
- Targeting these factors can reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers in vulnerable populations.
Background:
Pressure ulcers (PrUs) remain a common problem in all healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of risk factors in patients with PrUs.
Methods:
The study included 32 immobilized inpatients with PrUs and 30 immobilized inpatients without PrUs as a control group, who were being followed up at the Ankara Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Patients were given physical examinations and assessed for medical history, as well as for associated diseases, the duration of PrUs, the presence of stool and urinary incontinence, the use of pressure-reducing bed surface, and change of position. Routine biochemical and hematologic blood examinations were performed in all of the patients involved in the study.
Results:
When risk factors for PrUs were assessed, 81.2% of the patients with PrUs had stool and urine incontinence, 46.8% had been smoking, 46.8% had hypoalbuminemia, 15.6% had been drinking alcohol, and 9.3% had diabetes; 18.7% had been using a pressure-reducing bed surface before the ulcer appeared, and 40.6% started to use a pressure-reducing bed surface after the ulceration occurred; and 59.3% were repositioned periodically. PrUs were found to develop earlier in patients who were smoking and who had anemia. A significant relation also was found between the grade of the ulcer and the frequency of change of position in bed. Smoking and urinary/stool incontinence were found to be significantly present more frequently in the patient group than the control group. Stool incontinence and the absence of the use of a pressure-reducing bed were also found to be risk factors in the patient group when compared with the control group.
Conclusions:
The authors believe that stool and urinary incontinence, smoking, anemia, not using a pressure-reducing bed surface, and infrequent change of position in bed are considerable risk factors for the development of PrUs. Immobilized patients should be assessed for these risk factors, and measures should be taken to prevent PrU development.
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