Pressure ulcers are one of the major complications of hospitalization. Pressure ulcers prevalence studies in the European Union are made in the general population of patients hospitalized, with values ranging between 2,3 and 28%. Worldwide, there are few investigations on pressure ulcers in adults admitted to burn units. U.S.A. studies indicates the incidence of pressure ulcers in patients burned varies between 2,7 and 29,5%. In the absence in our country, the data regarding the prevalence of pressure ulcers in patients admitted to the burn units, and knowledge of predisposing factors to the onset of the pressure ulcers, it was decided to conduct an epidemiological study, in order to determine the prevalence of pressure ulcer at the Burns Unit of Hospital Prelada between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010. We analyzed several risk factors described in the literature, including reduced mobility, immobility, intolerance positions, changes in level of consciousness, agitation, presence of fluid drainage from wounds, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, perspiration and vasopressor medication, making the calculation of odds ratios (OR) for each of them, in order to determine and / or confirm risk factors for the onset of pressure ulcers or protective factors. Some conditions with inconclusive results such as agitation (OR 1,8 [0,2 to 18,4]) and urinary incontinence (OR 3,9 [0,3 to 44,4]) for the appearance of pressure ulcers, will require a broader sample in order to achieve values in a confident interval. Some factors such as fecal incontinence (OR 71,3 [6,6 to 765,5]), intolerance to positions (OR 59,0 [6,5 to 535,7]), immobility (OR 45,8 [4,6 to 460,1]), administration of noradrenaline (OR 22,40 [3,3 to 154,0]), and dopamine administration (OR 14,8 [1,6 to 133,9]), present values of odds that can be considered as risk factors in the development of pressure ulcers. Due to the limitations imposed by sample size, wasn´t possible to determine the odds ratio for the reduced mobility, altered level of consciousness, sweating and the administration of adrenaline.
| Date of Award | Sept 2011 |
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| Original language | Portuguese |
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| Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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| Supervisor | João Costa Amado (Supervisor) & Paulo Alves (Co-Supervisor) |
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