The prevalence of skin lesions and associated factors in hospitalised adult patients with cancer.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of skin lesions and evaluate the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with their presence in hospitalised patients.

Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study was performed in inpatient units and intensive care units of a cancer hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, after approval by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee. Data from hospitalised adult patients with cancer were collected during physical examinations and from medical records. A Chi-squared test, univariate analysis, a logistic regression model with results expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis were used to evaluate the data.

Results: Of 341 patients, 80 had skin lesions, equating to an overall prevalence of 23.5%. The skin lesions included pressure injuries (10%), incontinence-associated dermatitis (6.7%), skin tears (6.5%), malignant wounds (3.8%) and complicated surgical wounds (3.2%). The factors associated with skin lesions in cancer patients were the use of disposable nappies (OR: 4.436) and age (59.1±15.1 years), according to the CART analysis, and the wearing of nappies (OR: 4.466, p<0.001), presence of ecchymosis (OR: 2.532, p<0.001) and infection (OR: 6.449, p=0.040), according to multiple regression analysis.

Conclusion: This study contributed to knowledge about prevalence and associated factors of skin lesions in hospitalised patients with cancer, allowing the implementation of preventive measures.