Background Patients that develop a pressure ulcer whilst in hospital can expect to stay at least four extra days. Once discharged to the community for continuation of wound management for pressure ulcers, the epidemiology of these patients, together with patients who develop pressure ulcers at home, is unknown. Aims a) To estimate the magnitude of the problem of pressure ulcers in the Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service (NSHNS). b) To examine the evidence for inclusion of parameters in pressure ulcer risk screening tools and establish the frequency of use for patients identified with pressure ulcers. c) To test for differences in outcome in patients who have developed pressure ulcers either in hospital or in the community. Methodology A retrospective review of hospital and community records of patients identified with pressure ulcers, during a prevalence survey in May 2002, was carried out. All patients were followed for 12 months or to healing of the pressure ulcers. Results Nineteen patients, eight male and 11 female, median age 80 years, developed 41 pressure ulcers. Patients developed between one and seven pressure ulcers with a ratio of 2.2 per patient. The majority (14/19, 73%) of pressure ulcers developed in the community with just over one quarter (5/19, 26%) in hospital. Only three of 19 (15.7%) patients were screened for pressure ulcer risk. Pressure ulcers took an average of 70 days to heal. An estimated 1563 community nurse visits were required for wound management of the 41 pressure ulcers in 19 study patients. One patient was still being treated for a pressure ulcer at the end of the 12-month study period. Four patients were discharged and nine (47%) died. Conclusion The prevalence of pressure ulcers is a rare adverse event in the NSHNS. Screening tools were not used to identify those at risk. Interventions to prevent pressure ulcers did not occur until after the development of pressure ulcers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/186874 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Sharp, Catherine Anne, Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW |
| Publisher | Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Public Health and Community Medicine |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright Catherine Anne Sharp, http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/copyright |
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