Publication:

Pressure ulcer organs and related factors in patients hospitalized in intensive care units

Background Pressure injuries are considered to be of important hospitalization side-effects, whereas it is projected that in the US 2.5 million patients get pressure injury treatments per year. These injuries cause a significant health burden for the patients and a seriously significant financial burden on the health-care systems around the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pressure ulcers and related factors.

Methods This was a descriptive analytical study that has been done on 200 patients hospitalized on ICU. Necessary information was collected by a checklist and then analyzed by using SPSS v 22.

Results 200 patients were selected to participate in this study which 82 of them were women. Mean age of the participants was 54.9 and mean BMI was 25±3.6. In this study, 47 pressure injury cases were reported. The most common place for pressure injuries were sacrum and foot heel. This study recognized the followings as a predicting factor for pressure injuries: higher age, higher BMI, female gender, longer hospitalization period, DM, smoking and alcohol consumption, prior infection, history of chemotherapy, history of radiotherapy, low level of position change program and using an organ facilitator like a ventilator.

Conclusions With most of the mentioned risk factors for pressure injuries being underlying factors, it is advised that health-care strategist consider increasing education of the people and with healthier lifestyles it is possible to see less of burdens like this on the health-care system.