Background: Medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) present a substantial safety risk for children who are hospitalized.
Purpose: This study aimed to describe patient and clinical characteristics of children who develop MDRPIs related to electroencephalogram (EEG) leads, determine risk factors associated with their development, and determine if there are common risk factors that can lead to actionable strategies to reduce MDRPIs related to EEG leads.
Methods: A retrospective review was completed of the electronic health records of all 3136 children who had EEG lead placements between January 1, 2014, and April 16, 2018, at a large tertiary care children's hospital. Data abstracted included demographic variables, patient and pressure injury characteristics, as well as length of stay.
Results: Twenty-four (24) of the 3136 children (0.8%) developed an MDRPI. Most were stage 2 pressure injuries. Patients who developed a pressure injury were significantly younger than patients who did not (median age, 0.9 and 5.2 years, respectively; P = .005). Fifty percent (50%) of all patients who developed pressure injuries were younger than 1 year of age compared with 27% of patients who did not develop pressure injuries. The median length of stay for patients in whom MDRPI developed was 84.5 days (interquartile range, 45-137) versus 3.0 days (interquartile range, 2-8) for those who did not develop an MDRPI (P < .001). The mortality rate during the hospital stay was 21% (n = 5) for those who developed MDPRIs versus 4% (n = 19) for those who did not (P = .002). All patients received standard preventive strategies.
Conclusion: The incidence of MDRPIs in this patient population was significantly higher in younger and longer-stay patients, and their mortality rate was significantly higher. This suggests that the patients who developed an MDRPI were more critically ill than those who did not. Vigilant assessment and more research are needed to determine if there are appropriate strategies to reduce MDRPIs related to EEG lead placement.