Evaluation of factors affecting pressure ulcers in patients with brain - Spinal injuries: A cross-sectional descriptive study

Background: Due to the importance of pressure ulcers (PUs), this study was performed to determine the status of pressure ulcers in patients admitted to hospitals in Ilam. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was conducted (sample size=220). Researchers obtained a list of discharged patients from hospitals and contacted patients or their companions. The instruments included a demographic profile form and the Braden Scale for Predicting PU Risks. Data analysis was SPSS ver. 16 software. Results: It showed most of the patients achieved scores in poor and low risk status. Also, the overall score for risk of Pus was low, moderate, and high, and very high in 28 (12.7%), 81 (36.7%), 105 (47.7%), and 6 (2.7%) of cases, respectively. The total mean +/- SD of patients with and without Pus was 10.18 +/- 0.77 and 13.01 +/- 1.40, respectively. Also, there was a significant difference between patients with and without Pus in terms of the mean +/- SD of scores obtained in all items of this instrument, except friction and shear (P<0.05). Conclusions: Due to the identification of factors affecting the development of pressure ulcers, it is necessary to take the necessary interventions to reduce them.