title: Factors affecting the healing of pressure ulcers in a Korean acute care hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the factors affecting pressure ulcer (PU) healing in an acute care facility in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2007, regarding PU status and factors hypothesized to influence wound healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a form that queried factors thought to affect PU healing based on literature review. We also administered the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) tool to assess healing of PUs and calculated change in PUSH scale as the outcome variable reflecting the magnitude of the healing of PU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred fifty eight patients with a total of 326 PUs in an acute care hospital located in Seoul, Korea, comprised the sample. The variables found to significantly affect PU healing included mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum albumin level, urinary incontinence, consultation with nutritionist, Braden Scale scale, wound size, and exudate amount. Pressure ulcer healing was improved when the MAP was higher (B = 0.034) and the serum albumin level was more than 2.8 g/dL (20.8 grams/liter) (B = 1.107).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When managing patients in an acute care setting, PU healing may be improved by maintaining MAP and providing protein supplements to keep serum albumin level greater than 2.8 g/dL (20.8 grams/liter).
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Clinical Nursing Science, Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Kyung Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018529:Nutritional Support; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000451:nursing; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000150:complications; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology