Investigating the Frequency of Pressure Ulcers and Their Effective Factors in Intensive Care Units

For patients with prolonged bed rest and immobilization because of motor or consciousness disorders, many factors may contribute to the development of pressure ulcers. To this end, the present study aimed to investigate the frequency of pressure ulcers and the factors affecting the development of this condition in intensive care units (ICUs).

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the case files and records of patients hospitalized between March 2017 and March 2018 entered the study using the census method. The necessary information including age, gender, location of pressure ulcers, number of ulcers on each part of the body, length of stay in ICU, and underlying diseases was extracted from the files and recorded in the data checklist. In the end, the extracted data were analyzed with SPSS 25.

Of the 781 patients studied, 71 (9.1%) had pressure ulcers, of whom 34 were men and 37 were women. A statistically significant difference was found between men and women in terms of the incidence of pressure ulcer (p = 0.0013). The most common sites of pressure ulcers were buttock with 34 cases (47.9%) and sacrum with 21 cases (29.6%).

Old age and prolonged stay in ICU are important determinants of the development of pressure ulcers.