[Is diabetes mellitus a risk factor for pressure ulcers?]

Among patients hospitalized in 1983-1992 were 416 (239 women) who were immobilized for at least 2 hours due to stroke, orthopedic surgery, or sepsis. 128 (30.8%) had pressure ulcers (PU); 100 (31.2%) had diabetes (DM), including 12 with IDDM and 118 with NIDDM; age (mean +/- SD) was 74.3 +/- 9.5 years. Those with IDDM and NIDDM were younger (70.9 +/- 10.5 and 71.5 +/- 8.4 years, respectively) than the nondiabetic (75.7 +/- 9.6 years; p > 0.05 and < 0.001, respectively). Those with PU were older (76.6 +/- 9.0 vs 73.3 +/- 9.6 years, p < 0.01). Incidence of PU in patients without DM was similar to that in those with NIDDM (30.4 vs 27.1%; no difference even after age-adjustment). However, incidence of PU was significantly higher in those with IDDM than in those without DM (75.0 vs 30.4%, p < 0.01). According to Medline (last 2 years screened), and EBSCO Physician Medline Plus (last 5 years screened), only 5 publications referred to DM as a risk factor for PU. According to our data NIDDM does not appear to be a risk factor for PU, but a causative role for IDDM deserves further study. Increased risk of diabetic foot, infections in ulcers and wounds, and slow healing in DM do not justify considering NIDDM a risk factor for PU.