Pressure ulcers in patients of a highly complexity hospital in Chile

Abstract

Introduction. Among the reported adverse events (EA) related to Nursing Care Management are pressure ulcers (UPP). These injuries take on a special role when characterizing the most frequent events related to nursing care, both due to the increase in hospital days and the associated high economic and emotional costs. The objective of the study was to describe the characteristics of UPP in adult patients admitted to a hospital of high complexity in Chile. Material and Method. Descriptive and retrospective study. A sample of 265 patients (greater than or equal to 15 years), hospitalized in a highly complex health facility in the Ñuble region, who presented pressure ulcer(s) to reported(s) as an adverse event through an institutionally established form, was analyzed, in the period 2016-2017. Descriptive statistics and the SPSS program, version 25, were used. Results. The clinical services with the highest UPP notiication were: undifferentiated surgery (38,1%), adult critical patient unit (18,9%) and medicine (17,7%). The PU are located mainly in the sacral zone (29,4%) and heel (24,9%). The UPP average per patient is 1,3 (SD = 0,69) and is classiied mostly in stage I and II. The incidence of UPP at the hospital level was equal to 0,79% and can occur from the irst day of hospitalization. Conclusion. It is transcendental for the nursing professional to analyze this adverse event, to implement efective coping measures that contribute to improving the quality of nursing care.