title: Health-Related Quality of Life in Elderly Patients With Pressure Ulcers in Different Care Settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to measure and compare health-related quality of life in elderly patients with pressure ulcers in different health care settings (home care acute care facility, and long-term care facility [LTCF]).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ten elderly patients with (n = 36) and without (n = 74) pressure ulcers living in LTCFs, hospitals, or at home. The research setting included 1 tertiary and 2 community-based hospitals, 10 LTCFs, and 18 community health centers in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Mini-Mental State Examination, Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk, and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to assess cognitive status, pressure ulcer risk, and health-related quality of life, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with those without pressure ulcers, elderly patients with pressure ulcers reported significantly lower (worse) SF-36 scores on physical functioning (P < .001) and role physical (P < .05) in all settings, and on social functioning (P = .045) and role emotional (P = .036) in LTCFs. Subjects in hospitals with pressure ulcers scored significantly higher (better) SF-36 scores on mental health (P = .046) and vitality (P = .009). Hospitalized patients without pressure ulcers had lower SF-36 scores on bodily pain (P = .007) and general health (P = .026) than those living in LTCFs or at home. Patients without pressure ulcers in LTCFs had significantly lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores (lower cognitive status) than those living in other settings (P = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly patients with pressure ulcers who were hospitalized and living at home or in LTCFs reported low scores on physical functioning and role physical, and LTCF residents also reported low scores on social functioning and role emotional. This shows the need for an environment that includes health care professionals prepared to implement strategies for pressure ulcer prevention.
authors.affiliation: Diba Maria Sebba Tosta de Souza, RN, PhD, Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, and Department of Nursing, Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí (UNIVÁS), Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil. Daniela Francescato Veiga, MD, PhD, Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, and Division of Plastic Surgery, UNIVÁS, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil. Ivan Dunshee de Abranches Oliveira Santos, MD, PhD, Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Luiz Eduardo Felipe Abla, MD, PhD, Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Yara Juliano, PhD, Department of Biostatistics, UNIVÁS, Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Lydia Masako Ferreira, MD, PhD, Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diba Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sebba Tosta de Souza
authors.forename: Daniela Francescato
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.forename: Ivan Dunshee de Abranches Oliveira
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Luiz Eduardo Felipe
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Abla
authors.forename: Yara
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Juliano
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life