Pressure ulcers in critically ill patients: incidence and associated factors

The frequency of pressure injury in level 3 intensive care units and determination of risk factors: A cross-sectional study

AIM

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of pressure injury and risk factors in patients hospitalized in a university hospital's level 3 intensive care unit.

DESIGN

It is a descriptive, prospective, observational type study.

METHOD

The sample of the study consisted of 176 patients aged 18 and over who were admitted to the intensive care units of a University Hospital for at least 24 h. Patient Information Form and Braden Risk Assessment Scale, Glasgow Coma Scale were used to collect data. IBM SPSS Statistics 20 program was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Presence of chronic disease in the development of pressure injury (22.7%), high-risk patients according to the Glasgow Coma Scale (21%), high-risk patients according to the Braden Risk Assessment Scale (84.2%), low hemoglobin (31%), low albumin levels (32.4%) and duration of stay in the intensive care unit until the day of evaluation were found to be independent risk factors (p < 0.05). The prevalence of pressure injury was determined to be 32.4%, and the rate of pressure injury due to medical devices was 7.4%.

CONCLUSION

Pressure injuries are still common in adult intensive care patients. In terms of patient safety, it is important to give more space to care standards and awareness-raising research and training to prevent pressure injuries.

Relationship between nutritional goals and pressure injuries in critical care patients receiving enteral nutrition

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between pressure injury (PI) development and achievement of nutritional goals (protein and caloric), as well as consider the clinical conditions, hospitalisation factors, and risk assessment for PI development in patients who are critically ill and receiving enteral nutrition (EN) in the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHOD

An observational cohort study was conducted in the ICU of the University Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Inclusion criteria were as follows: age ≥18 years; length of ICU stay ≥24 hours; without PI at ICU admission; and receiving EN exclusively during ICU stay. The development of PI was considered the dependent variable. The Chi-squared test was applied to compare categorical variables, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables between groups of patients with and without a PI. The analysis of the achievement of nutritional goals was performed using Fisher's exact test. A significance level of 5% (p-value<0.05) and a confidence interval (CI) of 95% was adopted in all statistical tests.

RESULTS

A total of 181 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 102 (56.4%) were male and 79 (43.6%) were female. Mean age was 55.1 years, and mean length of ICU stay was 17.5 days. PI development was associated with not achieving nutritional goals. There was a higher percentage (65.3%) of patients without a PI when both protein and caloric goals were achieved. In contrast, 45.6% of patients developed a PI when the goals were not achieved. The mean days for sedation, vasoactive drugs and mechanical ventilation were all significantly higher in patients who developed a PI (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

There was a significant association between patients developing a PI and deficits in caloric and protein intake. Patients who did not develop PIs had a greater calorie and protein intake compared with those who developed a PI.

Are patient volume and care level in teaching hospitals variables affecting clinical outcomes in adult intensive care units?

Teixeira et al. showed that patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in a non-metropolitan region needed more support, had worse prognostic indices, and had a higher nursing workload in the first 24 hours of admission. In addition, worse outcomes, including mortality, need for dialysis, pressure injury, infection, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and prolonged hospital stay, were observed in the teaching hospital. Worse outcomes were more prevalent in the teaching hospital. Understanding the importance of teaching hospitals to implement well-established care protocols is critical.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of teaching (HI) and nonteaching (without an academic affiliation; H2) hospitals.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, adult patients hospitalized between August 2018 and July 2019, with a minimum length of stay of 24 hours in the intensive care unit, were included. Patients with no essential information in their medical records to evaluate the study outcomes were excluded. Resuslts: Overall, 219 patients participated in this study. The clinical and demographic characteristics of patients in H1 and H2 were similar. The most prevalent clinical outcomes were death, need for dialysis, pressure injury, length of hospital stay, mechanical ventilation >48 hours, and infection, all of which were more prevalent in the teaching hospital.

CONCLUSION

Worse outcomes were more prevalent in the teaching hospital. There was no difference between the institutions concerning the survival rate of patients as a function of length of hospital stay; however, a difference was observed in intensive care unit admissions.

Vasoconstrictor Agent Administration as a Risk Factor for Pressure Injury Development in Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Significance: Pressure injury (PI) is a common critical presentation in intensive care units (ICU) and is an important clinical concern in critical care settings. Some developing data support the vasoconstrictor agent administration as a potential risk factor; however, synthesis of available evidence has not been completed. Recent Advances: Comprehensive tactics were employed to search electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Ovid Embase for data on vasoconstrictor agent administration associated with PI in ICU patients. Extraction was limited to studies that matched the inclusion criteria. The pooled odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for dichotomous outcomes. Critical Issues: Twenty-six studies were included, involving 50,192 patients who matched the selection criteria. Around 5.8% of patients (2,523/43,210) got PI in total. PI occurred in 10.9% (1,496/13,675) of the vasoconstrictor agent administration population and 3.5% (1,027/29,503) of the drug-free population. The pooled unadjusted odds ratio was 2.83 (95% CI = 2.21-3.64, p < 0.001). The adjusted odds ratio was 1.83 (95% CI = 1.26-2.68, p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression found that the risk of PI did not vary with research design, time of occurrence, patient age, or male proportion. Future Directions: Vasoconstrictor agent administration raised the risk of PI in critical care patients by nearly twofold. More emphasis should be placed on the timely prevention of PI in patients receiving vasoconstrictor agent administration in the ICU.

Incidence and Predictors of Pressure Ulcers among Adult Patients in Intensive Care Units at Arba Minch and Jinka Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia

Introduction

The incidence of a pressure ulcer in intensive care units (ICU) is significantly higher than in noncritical care settings. The patients in the ICU are the most vulnerable group to disruption of the skin's integrity. Prior studies in Ethiopia failed to evaluate pressure ulcers in intensive care units and were limited to general wards. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and predictors of pressure ulcers in adult patients admitted to intensive care units in Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A single-arm prospective open cohort of 216 patients was used to determine the presence of a pressure ulcer in the intensive care units from June 2021 to April 2022. A consecutive sampling was used until the sample size was reached. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata 14. A cumulative incidence of a pressure ulcer was computed. The life table was used to estimate the cumulative survival. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to identify independent predictors of a pressure ulcer. An adjusted hazard ratio with a 95% CI was used to measure the degree of association; a P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Twenty-five patients developed a pressure ulcer (PU), making a cumulative incidence of 11.57%. Out of 25 incident cases of pressure ulcers, four-fifths (80%) of the study patients developed PU within 6 days of their admission to the ICUs. The incidence rate was 32.98 PU per 1000 person-days of ICU stay. Pressure ulcers were most commonly found on the sacrum, followed by the shoulder. Among the incident cases, 52% were stage 2 ulcers. The presence of friction or shearing forces, as well as being 40 years of age or older, was independently associated with pressure ulcers.

Conclusion

The overall cumulative incidence of the pressure ulcer was lower than that in other studies but occurred at a faster rate. Age (40 years of age or older) and the presence of friction or shearing forces were the main predictors of pressure ulcers in the intensive care units. Therefore, nurses working in ICUs should continually anticipate the risk of a pressure ulcer. Moreover, special attention should be given to patients of advanced ages. Furthermore, monitoring the installation of a mattress, keeping bed linens unwrinkled, and keeping patients in a proper position on a bed to prevent or reduce friction or shearing forces are very crucial in the prevention of pressure ulcers.

IMPLEMENTED TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRESSURE INJURY PREVENTION IN THE HOSPITAL CONTEXT: INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

The present study aimed to analyze in the literature the technologies implemented to prevent pressure injuries in the context of hospital care. This is an integrative literature review carried out from October to December 2021, in the databases: Virtual Health Library; MEDLINE via PubMed; Scopus; Web of Science; Embase and Cochrane Library, and 192 articles were included and 179 excluded. The final sample consisted of 13 articles, that met the eligibility criteria and answered the objective and research question. The main technologies used were air mattresses, permanent education mediated by e-learning, a computer system that facilitates the identification of risk factors, a light signal system for activating the team, a computer system for monitoring tissue pressure, a software for implementing computerized guidelines, an informative catalog, clinical guidelines, and a virtual learning environment. These technologies have shown positive results, however, as identified in the analysis, most studies deal with descriptive research designs with low inference power, which opens space for experimental research to prove the real benefits of technologies more accurately for pressure injury prevention.

Machine Learning-Based Pressure Ulcer Prediction in Modular Critical Care Data

Increasingly available open medical and health datasets encourage data-driven research with a promise of improving patient care through knowledge discovery and algorithm development. Among efficient approaches to such high-dimensional problems are a number of machine learning methods, which are applied in this paper to pressure ulcer prediction in modular critical care data. An inherent property of many health-related datasets is a high number of irregularly sampled time-variant and scarcely populated features, often exceeding the number of observations. Although machine learning methods are known to work well under such circumstances, many choices regarding model and data processing exist. In particular, this paper address both theoretical and practical aspects related to the application of six classification models to pressure ulcers, while utilizing one of the largest available Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) databases. Random forest, with an accuracy of 96%, is the best-performing approach among the considered machine learning algorithms.

Riesgo de úlceras por presión (UPP) en pacientes internados en las unidades de cuidados intensivos

Introducción: Las limitaciones de la percepción sensorial, la inmovilidad, la sedación, la ventilación mecánica, la hipoperfusión tisular, el edema y la humedad se consideran factores que predisponen la aparición de úlceras por presión en pacientes en estado crítico. Objetivo: Caracterizar las úlceras por presión en pacientes críticos, determinar la asociación con variables demográficas, la hospitalización y las condiciones clínicas, e identificar los factores de riesgo para la aparición de úlceras por presión. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal mediante una muestra de pacientes > 18 años que no presentaban úlceras por presión al ingreso y habían estado hospitalizados >24 horas en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. La asociación de las úlceras por presión con las variables se verificó a través de la prueba U de Mann-Whitney, prueba de chi-cuadrado, razón de verosimilitud y el test exacto de Fisher. Los factores de riesgo se identificaron mediante regresión logística múltiple. Resultados: De 324 pacientes, 46 (14.2%) desarrollaron úlceras por presión con mayor frecuencia en las regiones sacra y calcánea. Los factores de riesgo para la aparición de úlceras por presión fueron la edad, la duración de la hospitalización y la estancia hospitalaria antes de ingresar a la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. Discusión: La alta incidencia, la localización y el estadio de las úlceras por lesión observadas revelan la vulnerabilidad del paciente de la unidad de cuidados intensivos a este tipo de lesiones. Entre los riesgos de las úlceras por presión se encuentran factores relacionados con el paciente, la hospitalización y la gravedad de la enfermedad, y su combinación debe valorarse en la evaluación diaria del paciente crítico. Conclusión: La aparición de úlceras por presión en pacientes críticos es un fenómeno multifactorial, para la que el reconocimiento de factores de riesgo puede contribuir a una rápida adopción de medidas para su prevención Como citar este artículo: Campos, Michelle Mayumi Yoshimura de; Souza, Mariana Fernandes Cremasco de;  Whitaker, Iveth Yamaguchi.  Risco para lesão por pressão em pacientes de unidade de terapia intensiva. Revista Cuidarte. 2021;12(2):e1196. http://dx.doi.org/10.15649/cuidarte.1196    

INCIDÊNCIA E FATORES RELACIONADOS AO APARECIMENTO DE LESÕES POR PRESSÃO EM UNIDADE DE TERAPIA INTENSIVA

Objetivos:identificar a incidência e caracterizar as lesões por pressão em unidade de terapia intensiva adulta quanto à ocorrência, locais e fatores de risco, e verificar se há associação entre esses e o surgimento das lesões. Método: estudo observacional, coorte, prospectivo, desenvolvido em unidade de terapia intensiva de hospital terciário, de outubro a dezembro de 2019. A população constitui-se de adultos em primeiro dia de internação na unidade, sem lesão por pressão na admissão. Os participantes foram acompanhados durante a internação e variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas, assim como avaliação do risco de desenvolver lesão por pressão, avaliação da pele e escala de Braden foram coletadas diariamente. Empregaram-se testes de Qui-quadrado de Pearsone teste t de student para avaliar as relações entre variáveis e lesões. Para as análises foi considerado nível de significância (α) de 5%. Resultados: foram incluídos 40 participantes, 20% apresentaram lesão por pressão com predominância dos estágios 1 e 2; os principais locais afetados foram a região sacral seguida pelo calcâneo. O tempo médio de internação foi 23,38 dias para o grupo com lesão e 5,77 dias para o grupo sem lesão; o tempo apresentou relação significativa com o surgimento das lesões (p=0,002). Conclusão: conclui-se que o local mais acometido foi a região sacral e grau 1 o estadiamento mais frequente; o tempo de internação foi a variável que influenciou o surgimento de lesões.

INCIDENCE AND FACTORS RELATED TO THE APPEARANCE OF PRESSURE INJURIES IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Objectives: identify the incidence and characterize pressure injuries in an adult intensive care unit regarding the occurrence, locations and risk factors, and verify whether there is an association between these and the appearance of the injuries. Method: observational, cohort, prospective study, developed in an intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital, from October to December 2019. The population consists of adults on the first day of admission to the unit, without pressure injury at admission. Participants were monitored during hospitalization, sociodemographic and clinical variables, and risk assessment of developing a pressure injury, skin assessment and Braden scale were collected daily. Pearson’s chi-square tests and student’s t-test were used to assessing the relationship between variables and injuries. For the analyzes, a significance level (α) of 5% was considered. Results: 40 participants were included, 20% had pressure injuries with a predominance of stages 1 and 2; the main affected sites were the sacral region followed by the calcaneus. The average hospital stay was 23.38 days for the injured group and 5.77 days for the non-injured group; time showed a significant relationship with the appearance of lesions (p = 0.002). Conclusion: it was concluded that the most affected site was the sacral region and grade 1 was the most frequent staging; length of stay was the variable that influenced the appearance of injuries.

Complications of external cerebrospinal fluid drainage in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

Background

The need for external cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drains in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) patients is common and might lead to additional complications.

Objective

A relation between the presence of an external CSF drain and complication risk is investigated.

Methods

A prospective complication registry was analysed retrospectively. We included all adult aSAH patients admitted to our academic hospital between January 2016 and January 2018, treated with an external CSF drain. Demographic data, type of external drain used, the severity of the aSAH and complications, up to 30 days after drain placement, were registered. Complications were divided into (1) complications with a direct relation to the external CSF drain and (2) complications that could not be directly related to the use of an external CSF drain referred to as medical complications

Results

One hundred and forty drains were implanted in 100 aSAH patients. In total, 112 complications occurred in 59 patients. Thirty-six complications were drain related and 76 were medical complications. The most common complication was infection (n = 34). Drain dislodgement occurred 16 times, followed by meningitis (n = 11) and occlusion (n = 9). A Poisson model showed that the mean number of complications raised by 2.9% for each additional day of drainage (95% CI: 0.6–5.3% p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Complications are common in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage of which 32% are drain-related. A correlation is present between drainage period and the number of complications. Therefore, reducing drainage period could be a target for further improvement of care.

Is there a relationship between nutritional goal achievement and pressure injury risk in intensive care unit patients receiving enteral nutrition?

OBJECTIVES

To assess pressure injury risk and time until pressure injury development according to the achievement of nutritional goals, i.e. caloric and protein intake within the first 72 hours of the intensive care admission.

METHOD

Prospective observational cohort study conducted in two units at a public university hospital. The development of pressure injury was considered the dependent variable. Survival curves were prepared with the Kaplan Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the development of pressure injury.

RESULTS

The study sample included 181 patients, of which 56.4% were male and the average age was 55 years. Neurological pathologies were the most frequent cause of hospitalisation (44.8%). The average length of stay was 17.5 days and mortality 30.4%. With regards to nutritional goals, 105 patients (58.0%) achieved their caloric goal, 130 (71.8%) achieved protein goals, and 98 (54.1%) achieved both. The frequency of pressure injury occurrence was 31.5%. Caloric intake (hazard ratio [HR] 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-4.36) and protein intake (HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.76-5.86), were identified as independently associated with pressure injury development. Higher Braden scores were identified as a protective factor (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.56-0.77).

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that the time to pressure injury development in the group of patients who did not achieve nutritional goals was shorter compared to those who achieved nutritional goals. Further studies should be conducted to confirm these data and to study the relationships in greater detail.

Incidence of Pressure Injury in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this systematic review and quantitative analysis of pooled data was to assess the global incidence of pressure injury (PI), across time frames and countries, in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SEARCH STRATEGY

PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were systematically searched for studies published from database inception to January 2019, with only English language studies that reported the incidence of PIs in individuals with SCI were included. Study quality was assessed by a 14-item standardized checklist. We calculated the incidence of PIs as the number of new PIs in individuals with SCI and the total number of individuals with SCI during the study period. Findings are presented as incidence rate with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The search yielded 1652 studies; after studies were reviewed for inclusion criteria, 29 studies representing N = 82,722 patients were retained for data extraction. The global incidence of PIs was 0.23 (95% CI, 0.20-0.26). Data for regional distribution by country showed a pooled incidence of 0.43 (95% CI, 0.28-0.57) in individuals with SCI in South American countries, 0.36 (95% CI, 0.16-0.56) in African countries, 0.25 (95% CI, 0.14-0.37) in European countries, 0.23 (95% CI, 0.19-0.27) in North American countries, and 0.16 (95% CI, 0.06-0.25) in Asian countries. The incidence was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.19-0.26) in developing countries versus 0.27 (95% CI, 0.17-0.37) in developed countries. From 2000 to 2009, the incidence of PIs in individuals with SCI was 0.28 (95% CI, 0.09-0.47). The incidence rate of PIs before 2000 and after 2009 was 0.23. The hospital- and community-acquired PI incidence was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.19-0.26) and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.20-0.32), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings indicate that more than 1 in 5 individuals with SCI will develop a PI. Individuals with SCI are at high risk of developing PI, especially in community settings or low- and middle-income developing countries. The findings highlight the importance of further investigation of risk factors and prevention and management strategies for PIs in individuals with SCI.

Topical Nifedipine for the Treatment of Pressure Ulcer: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Effect of nifedipine on pressure ulcer (PU) healing has not been evaluated in the human subjects yet.

STUDY QUESTION

In this study, the effect of topical application of nifedipine 3% ointment on PU healing in critically ill patients was investigated.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical.

MEASURES AND OUTCOMES

In this study, 200 patients with stage I or II PU according to 2-digit Stirling Pressure Ulcer Severity Scale were randomized to receive topical nifedipine 3% ointment or placebo twice daily for 14 days. Changes in the size and stage of the ulcers were considered as primary outcome of the study. The stage of the ulcers at baseline and on day 7 and day 14 of study was determined by using 2-digit stirling scale. In addition, the surface area of the wounds was estimated by multiplying width by length.

RESULTS

In total, 83 patients in each group completed the study. The groups were matched for the baseline stage and size of PUs. Mean decrease in the stage of PU in the nifedipine group was significantly higher than the placebo group on day 7 (-1.71 vs. -0.16, respectively, P < 0.001) and day 14 (-0.78 vs. -0.09, respectively, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean decrease in the surface area of PU was significantly higher in the nifedipine group compared with the placebo group on day 7 (-1.44 vs. -0.32, respectively, P < 0.001) and day 14 (-2.51 vs. -0.24, respectively, P < 0.001) of study.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical application of nifedipine 3% ointment for 14 days significantly improved the healing process of stage I or II PUs in critically ill patients.

Perfil clínico-laboratorial de pacientes hospitalizados acometidos por lesão por pressão

Objetivo: Caracterizar o perfil clínico-laboratorial de pacientes hospitalizados acometidos por lesão por pressão (LP). Método: Estudo retrospectivo e descritivo, que incluiu dados de prontuários eletrônicos de 95 pacientes acometidos por LP durante a hospitalização. Resultados: Houve predomínio do sexo feminino (52,6%), média de idade 74,8 ± 14 anos, tempo médio de internação foi de 76,9 ± 88,8 dias. A maioria esteve internada na unidade de terapia intensiva, com uma média de 17,86 ± 36,58 dias. Com relação à condição clínica, 60% estavam em uso de ventilador mecânico quando desenvolveram a LP, 37,9% tinham a necessidade de hemodiálise, 30,4% foram diagnosticados com algum grau de desnutrição energético-proteica e 54,7% evoluíram para o óbito. As comorbidades mais frequentes foram hipertensão (63,16%), diabetes (43,16%) e neuropatia (33,68%). Quanto ao perfil laboratorial, hipoalbuminemia (97,3%), hiperglicemia (87,8%), anemia (84,4%) e hiperuremia (78,9%) estiveram presentes em mais de dois terços da amostra. Conclusão: Este estudo permitiu conhecer o perfil de pacientes acometidos por LP durante internação hospitalar, o que pode servir de base para desenvolver ações preventivas eficazes embasadas cientificamente.

Clinical and laboratory profile of hospitalized patients affected by pressure injury

Objective: To characterize the clinical and laboratory profile of hospitalized patients affected by pressure injury (PI). Method: Retrospective and descriptive study, which included data from electronic medical records of 95 patients affected by PI during hospitalization. Results: There was a predominance of females (52.6%), mean age 74.8 ± 14 years, mean hospital stay was 76.9 ± 88.8 days. Most were admitted to the intensive care unit, with an average of 17.86 ± 36.58 days. Regarding the clinical condition, 60% were using a mechanical ventilator when they developed PI, 37.9% needed hemodialysis, 30.4% were diagnosed with some degree of protein-energy malnutrition and 54.7% progressed to death. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (63.16%), diabetes (43.16%) and neuropathy (33.68%). As for the laboratory profile, hypoalbuminemia (97.3%), hyperglycemia (87.8%), anemia (84.4%) and hyperuremia (78.9%) were present in more than two thirds of the sample. Conclusion: This study allowed to know the profile of patients affected by PI during hospitalization, which can serve as a basis for developing scientifically based effective preventive actions.

Application of the educational method of realistic simulation in the treatment of pressure injuries

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the use of realistic simulation as a strategy to promote teaching about pressure injuries.

METHOD

This is a quasi-experimental study. A modified and translated version of the Pieper Pressure Ulcer knowledge test was applied. Kappa statistical analysis was used to assess the professionals' knowledge in the realistic simulation using the SPSS software. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Seventy-seven nursing professionals participated in the realistic simulation, the majority (72.7%) being nursing technicians. Regarding the knowledge of primary and secondary coverage techniques, the Kappa index went from 0.56 (p=0.002) in the pre-test to 0.87 (p=0.001) in the post-test. As for the sterile dressing technique, there was a variation from 0.55 (p=0.002) in the pre-test to 0.91 (p=0.001) in the post-test. Regarding the cleaning of pressure injuries, there was a variation from 0.81 (CI: 0.62-0.84) in the pre-test to 0.91 (0.85-0.97) in the post-test. The knowledge about the use of a sterile spatula to distribute the dressing in the wound increased from an agreement index from regular to good.

CONCLUSION

The introduction of the realistic simulation in the clinical practice has created quality assessment indicators for the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries.

Incidence of pressure injury and nursing care time in intensive care

Objectives: To correlate the incidence of pressure injury (PI) with the average time of nursing care in an intensive care unit (ICU). Method: Epidemiological, observational, retrospective study, carried out in the ICU of a university hospital. Data were collected by consulting the PI incidence and the average nursing care time from ICU databases between 2010 and 2014. Measures of central tendency and variability, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. Results: The average incidence of PI between 2010 and 2014 was 10.83% (SD = 2.87) and the average time spent in nursing care for patients admitted to the ICU was 15 hours (SD = 0.94). There was no statistically significant correlation between the incidence of PI and the nursing care time (r = -0.17; p = 0.199), however, the results suggested an overload on the nursing team. Conclusion: This study confirms the importance of implementing and reassessing the effectiveness of preventive care protocols for PI, in addition to warning about the work overload of nursing in assisting critically ill patients.

Incidência de lesão por pressão e tempo de assistência de enfermagem em terapia intensiva

Objetivos: Correlacionar a incidência de lesão por pressão (LP) com o tempo médio de assistência de enfermagem em unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI). Método: Estudo epidemiológico, observacional, retrospectivo, realizado em uma UTI de um hospital universitário. Os dados foram coletados pela consulta aos bancos de dados de incidência de LP e tempo médio de assistência de enfermagem entre 2010 e 2014. Utilizou-se medidas de tendência central e variabilidade, e coeficiente de correlação de Pearson para análise dos dados. Resultados: A média de incidência de LP entre 2010 e 2014 foi de 10,83% (DP = 2,87) e o tempo médio de assistência de enfermagem despendido aos pacientes internados em UTI foi de 15 horas (DP = 0,94). Não houve correlação estatisticamente significante entre incidência de LP e o tempo de assistência de enfermagem (r = -0,17; p = 0,199), porém os resultados sugeriram sobrecarga da equipe. Conclusão: Este estudo confirma a importância da implementação e reavaliação da eficácia de protocolos de cuidados preventivos para LP, além de alertar sobre a sobrecarga de trabalho de enfermagem na assistência aos pacientes críticos.

Pressure injury associated with mechanical restraint: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To verify the association of the practice of mechanical restraint with pressure injury (PI) in hospitalized patients. Method: A cross-sectional study of 111 patients from medical, surgical and intensive care units at a public hospital in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To analyze the association between variables, the [odds ratio (OR)] was adopted. Results: It were found 57 patients in mechanical restraint (51.4%). In the group of patients contained, the occurrence of PI was estimated in 43.9% and in the group of patients not contained in 5.6%. The chance of the contained patient to present PI was 13 times higher than in patients not contained. The location of the injury was more frequently in the sacral region, classified as stage 2 (21.1%) and stage 3 (12.3%), followed by trochanter (15.8%) and calcaneus (10.5%). Conclusion: It is recommended the adoption of nursing practices of suppression or reduction of the time in the use of mechanical restraint, adopting educational measures and prevention of PI.

Lesão por pressão associada à contenção mecânica: estudo transversal

Objetivo: Verificar associação da prática de contenção mecânica com lesão por pressão (LP) em pacientes hospitalizados. Método: Estudo transversal realizado com 111 pacientes de unidades de clínica médica, cirúrgica e de terapia intensiva em um hospital público do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Para analisar a associação entre as variáveis, adotou-se a razão de chances [odds ratio (OR)]. Resultados: Encontraram-se 57 pacientes em contenção mecânica (51,4%). No grupo de pacientes contidos, a ocorrência de LP foi estimada em 43,9% e, no grupo de não contidos, em 5,6%. A chance de o paciente contido apresentar LP foi 13 vezes maior do que em pacientes não contidos. A localização da lesão foi mais frequentemente na região sacra, classificada em estágio 2 (21,1%) e estágio 3 (12,3%), seguida de trocânter (15,8%) e calcâneo (10,5%). Conclusão: Recomenda-se a adoção de práticas de enfermagem de supressão ou redução do tempo no uso da contenção mecânica, adotando medidas educativas e de prevenção da LP.

Evaluation of a fluidised positioner to reduce occipital pressure injuries in intensive care patients: A pilot study

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and feasibility of a fluidised positioning device to reduce occipital pressure injuries (PIs). A post-test design with a historical control group was used in a 54-bed intensive care unit between September 2017 and August 2018. Patients who were receiving either extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, were mechanically ventilated, or had raised intracranial pressure (≥20) were recruited. The intervention consisted of a fluidised positioning device under the patient's head, and a skin assessment every 8 h. Outcome measures included the occurrence of occipital PIs and registered nurses (RNs)' perspectives of the intervention. Data collected from patients in the intervention group were compared with data obtained from the historical control group between May 2016 and April 2017. Sixty-four patients were recruited in the intervention phase and 63 were in the historical control group. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in occipital PIs by 87.7% (16/63; 25.4% historical control vs 2/64; 3.13% interventional group). Bedside RNs provided positive evaluation of the fluidised positioning device. The findings demonstrate that the fluidised positioning device is a feasible and effective intervention in reducing the risk of occipital PIs in intensive care patients, which merits the continuation of use and further evaluation through a larger-scale study.

Lesão por pressão: incidência em unidades críticas de um hospital regional

Objetivo: Mensurar a incidência de lesão por pressão (LP) em usuários internados em unidades críticas de uma instituição pública de referência no sudoeste da Bahia. Método: Estudo longitudinal prospectivo. Os dados foram coletados entre junho e agosto de 2017, por meio de entrevista direta, prontuário, prescrição médica e inspeção da pele do participante. Resultados: Dos 83 participantes, 39 (47%) desenvolveram LP. A média de permanência no estudo foi de 6,8 dias. A maioria era do sexo masculino, de cor preta ou parda e tinha baixa escolaridade. A média de idade foi de 47,6 anos (±19,8). Foi evidenciado que o uso contínuo de drogas vasoativas e sedoanalgesia está associado à LP. Trinta e dois (38,55%) participantes apresentaram alto risco para desenvolvimento de LP. A região calcânea (44%) foi a mais acometida. O número de lesões por participante foi de 1,28, em média, predominando lesões no estágio 1 (68%). A ocorrência de desfecho desfavorável (óbito) foi estatisticamente significativa. Conclusão: O caráter multifatorial de surgimento das LP requer a adoção de medidas institucionais focadas na prevenção deste evento adverso, devendo fazer parte do processo de educação permanente dos profissionais.

Pressure injury: incidence in critical units of a regional hospital

Objectives: Measuring the incidence of pressure injury (PI) in users hospitalized in critical units of a public reference institution in southwestern Bahia. Method: Prospective longitudinal study. Data were collected between June and August of 2017, through a direct interview, medical records, medical prescription and inspection of the participant’s skin. Results: Of the 83 participants, 39 (47%) developed PI. The medium stay in the study was 6.8 days. Most of them were male, black or brown and had low schooling. The mean age was 47.6 years (± 19.8). It was evidenced that the continuous use of vasoactive drugs and sedoanalgesia is associated with PI. Thirty- two (38.55%) participants presented a high risk for PI development. The calcaneal region (44%) was the most affected. The number of lesions per participant was 1.28, on average, with lesions in stage 1 (68%) predominating. The occurrence of an unfavorable outcome (death) was statistically significant. Conclusion: The multifactorial character of the emergence of PI requires the adoption of institutional measures focused on the prevention of this adverse event, and should be part of the process of permanent education of professionals.

Ocorrência de lesão por pressão em pacientes internados em um hospital-escola

Objetivo: Avaliar a ocorrência e fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de lesão por pressão (LP) em pacientes internados nas clínicas médica, cirúrgica e de observação do pronto-socorro de um hospital universitário. Métodos: Estudo transversal, descritivo- exploratório, de caráter epidemiológico. Os pacientes foram avaliados por meio de exame físico, três vezes por semana, durante dois meses consecutivos, entre junho e novembro de 2016. Resultados: A frequência de LP foi de 29% (n = 9) na clínica médica, 16% (n = 4) na clínica cirúrgica e 53,8% (n = 7) na observação do pronto-socorro. Segundo a escala de Braden, sete (30,4%) pacientes da clínica médica apresentaram risco elevado e dois (25%) risco moderado; três (27,3%) pacientes da clínica cirúrgica apresentaram risco elevado e um (7,1%) risco moderado; e sete (58,3%) pacientes na observação do pronto-socorro apresentaram risco elevado. Os fatores de risco associados aos participantes que desenvolveram LP foram: restrição no leito, o uso de cateteres ou dispositivos, droga vasoativa, fralda, ventilação mecânica, sedativos, inconsciência, jejum alimentar e tempo de internação acima de 10 dias. Conclusão: Houve alta frequência de LP nas clínicas médica e cirúrgica e na observação do pronto-socorro. A maioria dos pacientes apresentou risco elevado para desenvolver LP.

Occurrence of pressure injury in patients hospitalized in a school hospital

Objective: to evaluate the occurrence and risk factors for the development of pressure injury (PI) in patients admitted in medical and surgical clinics and in observation at the emergency room of a university hospital. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive-exploratory, epidemiological study. Patients were assessed by physical examination three times a week for two consecutive months between June and November 2016. Results: the frequency of PI was 29% (n = 9) in the medical clinic, 16% (n = 4) in the surgical clinic and 53.8% (n = 7) in observation at the emergency room. According to the Braden scale, seven (30.4%) patients in the medical clinic presented high risk and two (25%) moderate risk; three (27.3%) patients from the surgical clinic presented a high risk and one (7.1%) moderate risk; and seven (58.3%) patients in observation at the emergency room were high risk. The risk factors associated with the participants who developed PI were: restriction in the bed, use of catheters or devices, vasoactive drug, diaper, mechanical ventilation, sedatives, unconsciousness, food fasting and hospitalization time over 10 days. Conclusion: there was a high frequency of PI in the medical and surgical clinics and in observation at the emergency room. Most patients were high risk for developing PI.

APACHE II Death Risk and Length of Stay in the ICU Are Associated With Pressure Injury in Critically Ill Patients

Background

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with pressure injury (PI) occurrence in critically ill patients. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a mixed intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to identify which variables are associated with PI.

Results

Twenty-one (15%) of 142 patients developed PI. The median and the range of the variables in the groups without and with PI were as follows: Braden scale risk score, 13 (8 - 20) and 10 (8 - 14) points, respectively; Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) death risk, 39% (2 - 97%) and 75% (26 - 96%), respectively; and length of stay in the ICU, 4 (2 - 36) and 16 (5 - 29) days, respectively. The socio-demographic variables included in the logistic regression were age (P = 0.09), Braden scale risk score (P = 0.0003), APACHE II death risk (P < 0.0001), length of stay in the ICU (P < 0.0001) and reason for ICU admission (P = 0.09). Only APACHE II death risk and length of stay in the ICU presented significant differences; the odds ratios were 1.05 and 1.25, respectively, and the 95% confidence intervals were 1.01 - 1.09 and 1.12 - 1.39, respectively.

Conclusion

APACHE II death risk and length of stay in the ICU are probably associated with PI occurrence in the study population.

Couple-kissing flaps for successful repair of severe sacral pressure ulcers in frail elderly patients

Background

Surgical repair of severe pressure ulcers (PUs) in elderly patients remains a challenge for clinicians due to the complicated comorbidities and the special physical characteristics of elderly patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of couple-kissing flaps (CKF) in the reconstruction of sacral PUs in these patients.

Methods

Elderly patients (over 70 years) with stage 3 or stage 4 PUs who underwent CKF immediately after radical debridement between July 2012 and December 2015 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients’ demographics were extracted from the medical records.

Results

A total of 12 patients were involved in this study. The average age of the patients was 76.83 years (ranged from 71 to 92 years). The donor site was closed primarily in all cases. All the flaps healed uneventfully without complications. Follow-up observations were conducted for an average of 13.6 months (ranged from 9 months to 2 years). Cosmetic results were satisfactory, with no surgical site breakdown or recurrence of PU in any of the cases. Three representative cases are presented.

Conclusions

The CKF is a reliable and satisfactory option for the reconstruction of severe sacral PUs defects in elderly patients. CKF is associated with an relatively low rate of complications and recurrence.