Pressure Injuries Among Hospitalized Patients With Cancer: Prevalence and Use of Preventive Interventions

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Hospitalized cancer patients are a vulnerable population.
• Pressure injuries (PIs) represent a significant complication in healthcare settings.
• Understanding PI prevalence is key to developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of pressure injuries (PIs) among hospitalized cancer patients.
• To identify the types and locations of PIs in this cohort.
• To assess the implementation of preventive measures for at-risk patients.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, cross-sectional prevalence survey was conducted in 5 Jordanian hospitals.
• The study included 110 adult cancer patients, with data collected on skin assessment, PI risk, and preventive measures.
• Methods aligned with European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel recommendations.

Main Results:

• The overall prevalence of PIs was 15.5% (17 out of 110 patients).
• Excluding Grade/Category I injuries, the prevalence decreased to 7.3% (8 patients).
• Heel PIs were most common (64.7%), and Grade I PIs were most frequent (52.9%).
• Only 26.9% of patients identified as at-risk received appropriate preventive interventions.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight a substantial burden of PIs in hospitalized cancer patients, underscoring the need for focused prevention.
• There is a critical gap in the delivery of preventive interventions to at-risk cancer patients.
• Further research is recommended to enhance the understanding and management of PIs in this vulnerable population.