Pressure injury can occur in patients undergoing prolonged head and neck surgery

The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of and identify the risks factors associated with the development of pressure injuries (PIs) in a sample of patients who underwent operative treatment of a head and neck malignancy.

The sample was composed of patients admitted under the care of the Combined Head and Neck Service, John Hunter Hospital from 2010 to 2012 and whose operation was a minimum of 5 hours duration. The predictor variables included a range of demographic, comorbidity, and operative factors. The outcome variable was the development of a PI. A multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to assess the association between predictor variables and the outcome variable (PI).

Eighty-eight patients (62 male and 26 female) were included in the study. PIs were identified in 13 patients (14%). These injuries were typically located over bony prominences, in keeping with findings identified in the relevant literature. Specifically, an increased risk of PI was seen with decreasing patient age (54.5 ± 11.6 yr for PI vs 63.1 + 10.8 yr for no PI; P = .01) and increasing operative duration (729 ± 79 minutes for PI vs 625 ± 158 minutes for no PI; P = .02).

PIs can occur in patients who undergo prolonged head and neck resective and reconstructive surgery. In particular, decreasing age and increasing operative duration were shown to be statistically significant factors in the development of PIs in this group of patients.