Skin problems among the wheelchair users: a prospective cross-sectional study

Skin is the largest and the outermost body organ. It is directly affected by the external environment. The biomechanical differences in wheelchair users compared to healthy people make them prone to different risk factors of skin problems. Nevertheless, these patients are under-represented in the dermatologic literature.

The primary objective was to determine the frequency of different skin problems among wheelchair users. The secondary objective is to determine the different precautions they are taking to prevent these problems.

The prospective study followed a cross-sectional design, conducted during the period of the coronavirus disease 2019 curfew between May and June 2020. The survey's link was distributed among adult wheelchair users in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was administered using google forms. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22.

The results show that the vast majority of wheelchair users (85%) experienced skin problems. Pressure ulcer (PU) is the most frequently reported skin condition (54%), followed by traumatic wounds, fungal infections, and hand skin dryness and thickening. The commonest preventive measure was using cushions to avoid PUs.

Most of wheelchair users reported having a history of skin complaints, of which PU was the most common followed by traumatic wounds and fungal infections. Thus, spreading awareness of the risk factors and preventive methods would help them avoid its development and prevent its negative impact on quality of life. Assessing the different kinds of wheelchairs and cushions to avoid PUs would be an interesting area for future studies.