Risk factors for pressure ulcers in hospitalized elderly without significant cognitive impairment

Purpose. To evaluate risk factors for pressure ulcers (PU) in hospitalized elderly without significant cognitive impairment. Methods. From July 2005 to February 2006, 40 hospitalized elderly patients without cognitive deficit were evaluated in a university hospital in Pouso Alegre, Brazil. Twenty patients with a PU formed the study group and 20 without a PU formed the control group. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive status. Pressure ulcers were classified using the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) guidelines, followed by evaluation of risk factors for PU using the Braden scale. The chi-squared test was applied and for the Braden scale the Mann-Whitney test was used. Results. In the study group, 14 (70%) of the subjects were women and 6 (30%) were men. The average age was 71.5 years. The average score for the MMSE was 19.7. The average time of hospitalization was 23.1 days for the study group and 13 days for the control. In the Braden scale, the risk factors such as humidity, activity, mobility, friction, and shear force were significant (P<0.05). Conclusion. The data from the present study demonstrate that hospitalized elderly patients have an increased risk for the development of PU. Humidity, activity, mobility, friction, and shear are important risk factors during the hospitalization period.