Pressure Injury in Intensive Care Unit: prevalence and associated factors in patients with COVID-19

Rev Gaucha Enferm. 2023 Jun 19:44:e20210345. doi: 10.1590/1983-1447.2023.20210345.en. eCollection 2023.
[Article in English, Portuguese]

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of pressure injuries and identify associated risk factors in patients affected by COVID-19 admitted to an intensive care unit.

Method: Cross-sectional, retrospective study with a quantitative approach carried using a documentary research. The sample included 393 medical records that were in accordance with our inclusion criteria, selected from March 2020 to March 2021 in a hospital in the south of Brazil. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the software Bioestat 5.

Results: The prevalence of pressure injuries in COVID-19 patients was 42%, the risk factors associated with these injuries were hospitalization time, ventilation treatment, and staying in the prone position, all with a significance of p<0.05.

Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19 are subject to several unmodifiable factors that are determinant for the appearance of pressure injuries. Therefore, preventive measures should be rigorously applied to this population.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Pressure Ulcer* / epidemiology
  • Pressure Ulcer* / etiology
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies