Prevalence of pressure ulcer and its related factors in elderly patients hospitalized to teaching hospitals in East Guilan

Pressure ulcer is a pressure-induced tissue injury that can affect the skin, muscle, connective tissue, cartilage, and bone. Pressure ulcer is a painful, debilitating condition that endangers a person's health by increasing mortality and morbidity in terms of length of hospital stay, increasing the rate of infection, and the need for surgical procedures. Pressure ulcers are the third most expensive disease after cancer and cardiovascular diseases. About two-thirds of hospital beds are occupied by people over 65 years old. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pressure ulcer and its related factors in elderly patients hospitalized at teaching hospitals in Guilan, Iran.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which elderly patients who had been hospitalized for 24 hours or more in the intensive care units, internal and surgical wards of East Guilan educational hospitals were eligible for the study. Using the available stratified sampling method, 250 patients aged 60 years and older were included in our study. Data collection tools included socio-demographic and medical profile questionnaires and the Braden pressure ulcer risk assessment scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 statistical software. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyze data at a significant level of P<0.05.

The prevalence of pressure ulcer in elderly patients hospitalized in teaching hospitals in was 26.4%. There was a significant relationship between the presence of pressure ulcer with age, length of hospital stay, type of ward, urinary and fecal incontinence, edema, level of consciousness, type of mattress used, connection to mechanical ventilation, position change, sensory perception areas, humidity, activity, and mobility. There was no significant relationship between the presence of pressure ulcer with gender, marital status, and surgical history.

Pressure ulcer has a high prevalence in hospitalized elderly and it is always accompanied by serious complications. it is better for nurses to check patients regularly and prevent its occurrence by controlling significant risk factors.