Prevalence of pressure soles in patients admitted to tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University palliative care service and its relationship with risk factors

The research was conducted retrospectively, descriptively and relationship-seeking. The purpose of the research; To determine the prevalence of pressure ulcers in patients hospitalized in Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University Hospital Palliative Care Service and the risk factors that may play a role in the development of pressure ulcers. The aim of this study is to increase the quality of life and care of patients and to make a significant contribution to the literature by calculating the prevalence of pressure ulcers in palliative care patients and evaluating their risk factors. In addition, it was aimed to define the socio-demographic characteristics of patients admitted to palliative care, to evaluate the risk of pressure ulcers using the Braden Pressure Sore Risk Assessment Scale, the characteristics of the existing pressure ulcer, and its relationship with risk factors. The study was conducted on 279 patients, 128 female and 151 male, with pressure ulcers among 1942 patients treated in the Palliative Care Department of Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University Hospital between 01.04.2018 and 30.11.2023. Descriptive analyses were conducted to provide information about the general characteristics of the study groups. Data for categorical variables are given as n(%); data for continuous variables are given as mean±standard deviation. When comparing the means of quantitative variables between groups, the Significance Test for the Difference Between Two Means and One-Way Analysis of Variance are used. Cross-tabulations and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the relationship between qualitative variables. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between quantitative variables. SPSS 22.0 statistical program was used for software. In the analysis, p values were considered statistically significant when calculated less than 0.05. Findings and Results; The incidence of pressure ulcers was found to be %14.36. Of the patients with pressure ulcers, 217 (%77.8) had a pressure ulcer when they were admitted to the ward, and 62 (%22.2) patients had a pressure ulcer while they were in the ward. The patient's age, medical device and interventional procedure status, nutritional status, urinary and fecal excretion status, comorbidity status, mobility status, consciousness status, primary diagnosis were determined as risk factors that play a role in the development of pressure ulcers. In line with the data and results we obtained, our hypothesis that 'as the person's immobility increases, risk factors increase, and the Braden Pressure Sore Risk Assessment Scale score increases and pressure sore formation increases' was also supported. As a result of our study showing the importance of Risk Assessment in Pressure Wounds, it is recommended that risk assessment should be performed on patients in Palliative Care Services, that interventions to prevent pressure wounds should be planned, implemented and evaluated, and that regular intra-unit and intra-institutional training should be provided to nurses and staff working in these units regarding pressure wound risks, assessment criteria and pressure wound care.