Pressure ulcers and malnutrition: results from a snapshot sampling in a university hospital.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to ascertain the factors potentially contributing to the manifestation of pressure ulcers (PU) due to poor nutritional status in a nonselected hospitalized population.


METHODS
This is a prospective cohort study of 471 adult inpatients treated at our university hospital. Study parameters included anthropometric data, demographics, medical history, mood status, diet-related factors and self-perception of health status. For each participant, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and a malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) was used to screen for nutritional deficiencies, with the presence of PU constituting the outcome of interest. An independent-samples t test, χ(2) analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of PU in our cohort was 14.2%. Advanced age, low BMI, poor health status by self-assessment, serious mood disorders, malnutrition, abnormal appetite status, a quantity of food intake half of normal, an artificial diet, limited or no autonomy in everyday activities (p < 0.01 for all) and recent weight loss (p < 0.05) were identified as important determinants for the manifestation of PU. Multivariate analysis highlighted limited autonomy in everyday activities (OR 6.456 and 95% CI 3.212-12.973; p = 0.000), MUST score (OR 3.825 and 95% CI 1.730-8.455; p = 0.001) and artificial diet (OR 1.869 and 95% CI 1.247-2.802; p = 0.018) as the most powerful predictors of PU development.


CONCLUSIONS
Poor nutritional status, limited autonomy in everyday activities and artificial nutrition seemed to confer noteworthy prognostic value regarding PU development in the acute-care setting.
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit, AHEPA University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Georgia
G
Tsaousi
George
G
Stavrou
Aristidis
A
Ioannidis
Spyros
S
Salonikidis
Katerina
K
Kotzampassi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors