Pressure ulcers and their associated factors in nursing home inmates.

Objective: To assess pressure ulcers and the associated risk factors, among the individuals who stayed at Yozgat Rehabilitation Care Center in Turkey.

Study Design: A descriptive study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Yozgat Rehabilitation Care Center, Turkey, from August to September 2011.

Methodology: One hundred and seventy five individuals participated in the study who received care at the above nursing home and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected with an information form of descriptive characteristics (the form included a total of 15 questions asked to get information about socio-demographic characteristics) and Braden risk assessment scale. For the data evaluation, Mann-Whitney U-test, Krushall-Wallis Variance analysis, Logistic Regression analysis were used. Statistical significance was defined by a probability level of p < 0.05.

Results: The mean score of Braden risk assessment scale of the individuals was 15.0 ± 3.3 and 16.0% were under very high risk. Nine (5.1%) had pressure ulcers. The average duration of stay was 2.17 ± 0.80 years. Participants who were underweight, had lived at the rehabilitation center for a longer time, and were fed on regime 1, had a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Individuals who stayed in nursing home were under very high risk of pressure ulcer. Pressure ulcers are preventable by the elimination of some risk factors and good nursing care. Such individuals should be periodically assessed in terms of risk.