Factors Associated With Pressure Injury Development in Older Hospitalized Patients: A Prospective Descriptive Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pressure injuries (PIs) can occur in immobile patients, with advancing age increasing the risk of their development. PURPOSE: To investigate factors associated with the development of PIs in older patients who were hospitalized. METHODS: A prospective descriptive study was conducted in August and September 2018 at the Department of Geriatrics, Jiangsu Province Hospital, China. Hospitalized patients aged 65 years and older were enrolled and monitored for 1 month. RESULTS: Pressure injuries developed in 20 participants (16.7%). Patients in whom PIs developed showed lower hemoglobin levels, thinner skinfold thickness, higher sacrococcygeal pressure, higher Ohura-Hotta scale scores, lower Braden scale scores, lower body mass index, and lower albumin levels compared with those in whom PIs did not develop. Multivariate analysis showed that higher sacrococcygeal pressure (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.11, P = .045), lower Braden scale score (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48-0.92; P = .012), and lower albumin level (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.89; P = .006) were independent predictors of PIs. CONCLUSION: Additional studies are needed to evaluate sacrococcygeal pressure, Braden scale score, and albumin levels as independent predictors of PIs in older hospitalized patients.