Factors Associated with a High-Risk Profile for Developing Pressure Injuries in Long-Term Residents of Nursing Homes

Pressure injuries are a health problem of special concern for older adults, and different scales are used to assess the risk of developing these ulcers. We assessed the prevalence of residents at high risk of pressure injuries using a Norton scale and examined its relationships with the most important risk factors in a large sample of Italian nursing homes (NHs).

This was a cross-sectional cohort study in a sample of Italian long-term care NHs with data collected between 2018 and 2020.

We recruited 2,604 NH residents; 1,252 had Norton scale scores, 41 (3.3%) had a diagnosis of pressure injuries, 571 (45.6%) had a Norton score ≤9, and 453 (36.2%) had a score between 10 and 14. The univariate model showed a relationship between female sex, age, dementia, and cerebrovascular disease with a Norton scale score ≤9. The significant associations were confirmed in the multivariate model with stepwise selection.

The prevalence of NH residents at high risk of pressure injuries was very high using the Norton scale, but the percentage of residents who develop these ulcers is lower. Female NH residents with advanced age, dementia, and a history of cerebrovascular disease should be carefully monitored.