The incidence of pressure ulcer in neurosurgical patients from a university hospital

Objective: To identify the incidence of pressure ulcer in the preoperative and postoperative period in neurosurgical patients and to describe preventive measures adopted by nursing staff. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the neurosurgical unit of the Sao Paulo hospital. The sample consisted of inpatients who were admitted for elective surgeries of the central nervous system and who did not have pressure ulcer. Results: Sixty patients participated in the study. They have a mean age of 49 years, ranging from 19 to 78 years. The majority of patients (56.6%) were female. Only 8 patients (13.4%) developed nine pressure ulcers. Among the patients identified as having risk for pressure ulcers, preventive measures were implement to 3 of them (25%) during the preoperative period, to 33 of them (66%) during the immediate postoperative period, and to 23 (86.6%) during the mediate postoperative period. Conclusion: The incidence of pressure ulcer in the study sample was 13.3%. There is a need to implement a preventive program to decrease the incidence of pressure ulcers in neurosurgical patients.