Pressure wound in children determination of prevalence and risk factors

AIM: Pressure ulcer is a serious health problem not only among the adults but also among the children. However; anatomical and physiological differences of the children may affect the prevalence of pressure ulcer. The current study aimed at prevalence of pressure ulcer and its risk factors. METHOD: The sample of the study, which was cross sectional and analytic, was composed of 143 children who were admitted to Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital on the 21st of January, 2015 for treatment. Ethical approval and official permission to undertake the study were obtained from the university ethics committee. The data were gathered using "Individual Characteristics Form" and "The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Ulcer Risk among the Children" with observation and face to face interview method. For the data analyses; frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, Kolmogorov-Smirnov distribution test, Pearson chi-square test and Fisher Exact test and Spearman Correlation Analyses were employed. Results were considered significant at p<0.05 and confidence interval was set at 95%. FINDINGS: Pressure ulcer developed in 17 of the 143 patients (%12). For these children; average age was 66.2±616 months, mean body weight was 19.7±16.5 and most of them were determined as underweight according to Body Mass Index (12 children, %70.6). 64.7% (11 children) of the children were boys. Among the children in whom pressure ulcer developed; it was seen that average hemoglobin value was 9.5±1.6 g/dl and average albumin value was 2.7±0.2 g/dl. It was found out that mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 10.7 ± 4.6 and mean "Braden Risk Score" was 15.3 ± 5.2; which was "moderate risk". 58.8% of the children were treated at intensive care unit. 52.9% of the children (9 children) had neurological problems whereas 70.6% of them (12 children) had chronic problems. It was discovered that the rate of the patients whose pressure ulcer was grade 1 was 47.1% (8 children). RESULTS: In the current study; prevalence of pressure ulcer was 12%. Most of the children in whom pressure ulcers developed had low BMI and albumin values and neurological and chronic diseases; which was indicated that these children were under risk for pressure ulcers. However; there is a need for the studies that have a sample representing the children with pressure ulcers and for doing advanced studies. The results obtained from the current study will be evaluated as an evidence to prevent and treat pressure ulcers at the institution where the study was done. Key Words: Pressure ulcers among the children, risks, prevalence,