The Role of EuroSCORE II in Predicting Postoperative Pressure Injuries in Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Cross-Sectional...

Background/Objectives: Pressure injuries (PIs) are an increasing public health concern, particularly affecting hospitalised patients with limited mobility and chronic illnesses, such as those undergoing cardiac surgery. The EuroSCORE II index, a validated model for predicting operative risk in cardiac surgery, can serve as an accurate PI risk assessment tool for cardiac surgery patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients undergoing cardiac surgery over a six-month period. The sample consisted of patients selected according to the calculated EuroSCORE II index and admitted for elective surgical procedures. The Braden Scale was used for the standard preoperative and postoperative PI risk assessment. Categorical variables are shown as frequencies with corresponding percentages. Continuous variables are presented as median and interquartile range. Group differences in continuous variables according to EuroSCORE II were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test, with the Hodges-Lehmann estimator of the median difference and the corresponding 95% confidence interval. Results: The assessment showed that patients with a medium and high EuroSCORE II index (>4.0) were significantly older (M = 73; IQR: 68-77), with a higher preoperative Braden score (M = 20; IQR: 17-21), longer intraoperative total time (M = 6; IQR: 5-7) and overall longer duration of hospitalisation (M = 14; IQR: 10-21). A statistically significant difference (p = 0.043) was observed in the occurrence of PI after the procedure. Within the group of patients with a medium/high EuroSCORE II index, the recorded frequency of PI after the procedure was 30.8%, compared to the group of patients with a low EuroSCORE II index, among whom the observed frequency was 17.6%. Conclusions: The findings of this study show that a higher EuroSCORE II index is significantly associated with an increased risk and incidence of PI in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, highlighting its potential use as a predictive tool for postoperative PI risk stratification.