Trends in the prevalence of pressure ulcers in an acute care tertiary hospital (2006-2013)

Objectives: To analyse the trends in pressure ulcer prevalence from 2006 to 2013. To determine the main risk factors associated with pressure ulcers. Method: A descriptive study analysing the prevalence in a series of pressure ulcers collected in the study on the prevalence of nosocomial infections in Spain from 2006 to 2013 in the Clinical University Hospital of Zaragoza. Results: The mean prevalence among the 5,354 patients included over the period of study was 4.5% (95% CI = 3.9-5.0%). No significant difference in its trend or distribution of pressure ulcers was observed over the several years of the study. Prevalence increased up to 5.0% (95% CI = 4.4-5.6%) when short-stay patients (less than 24 hours) and those admitted into low risk units (Paediatrics, Psychiatry and Obstetrics) were removed from the study, but there was still no significant differences in its yearly trend or distribution (p > 0.05). Age, length of stay, presence of coma, in-dwelling urethral catheters, malnutrition, infection, and admission unit were risk factors associated with pressure ulcer prevalence in the logistic regression. Conclusions: Age, length of stay, coma, in-dwelling urethral catheters, malnutrition, infection, and admission unit were independent risk markers for patients with pressure ulcers. No particular trend of pressure ulcer prevalence could be determined to demonstrate any effects from the different strategies of improvement implemented during the period of study, although this fact could be due to the limitations of data used in the study. (C) 2014 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.