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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
An Educational Video Demonstration of How to Prone a Critically Ill Intubated Patient
Published on: November 30, 2022
The risk of pressure ulcers in a proned COVID population
Tom Challoner1, Teodora Vesel1, Amandeep Dosanjh1
1Department of Plastic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
Abstract:
The utilisation of prone positioning has been vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, however risks the development of anterior pressure ulcers. An observational study was performed to examine the prevalence of pressure ulcers in this population and define risk factors. Eighty-seven patients admitted to critical care were studied. Of 62 patients with >1 day in prone position, 55 (88.7%) developed anterior pressure ulcers, 91% of which were anterior. The most commonly affected site were the oral commisures (34.6%), related to endotracheal tube placement. Prone positioning (p < .001) and the number of days prone (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.46-6.62, p = 0.003) were a significant risk factors in development of an anterior ulcer. Prone positioning is therefore a significant cause of anterior pressure ulcers in this population.
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