title: Analyses of pressure ulcer incidence in inpatient setting in a Portuguese hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To gain more insight into the magnitude of the problem of pressure ulcer incidence in general wards of a Portuguese hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort analysis of electronic health record database from 7132 adult patients admitted to medical and surgical wards of Aveiro Hospital during 2012. The development of (at least) one pressure ulcer during the length of stay was associated with age, gender, type of admission, specialty units, first Braden Scale score, length of stay, patient discharge outcome and ICD-9 diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An incidence of 3.4% participants with pressure ulcer category I-IV in inpatient setting during 2012. During the length of stay, 320 new pressure ulcers were developed, most of them category/stage II. The sacrum/coccyx and the trochanters were the most problematic areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major risk factor for the development of a new pressure ulcer during the length of stay was the presence of (at least) one pressure ulcer at the first skin assessment. The length of stay itself, age and lower Braden Scale scores of our participants also played an important role in the odds of developing a pressure ulcer. Infectious diseases, traumatism and fractures and respiratory diseases were the ICD-9 diagnoses with higher frequency of participants that developed (at least) one pressure ulcer during the length of stay. It's important to standardize procedures and documentation in all care settings. The documentation of nursing interventions is vital to evaluate the impact of evidence-based nursing.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga, EPE, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Oporto, Portugal. Electronic address: pedro.sardo@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Pedro Miguel Garcez
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sardo
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: claudiasimoes@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Cláudia Sofia Oliveira
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: jalvarelhao@ua.pt.
authors.forename: José Joaquim Marques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Alvarelhão
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: jflindo@ua.pt.
authors.forename: João Filipe Fernandes Lindo
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: Oporto Nursing School, University of Oporto, Portugal. Electronic address: paulom@esenf.pt.
authors.forename: Paulo Alexandre Puga
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: QOPNA, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: famado@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Francisco Manuel Lemos
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Amado
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: antonio.amaro@ua.pt.
authors.forename: António José Monteiro
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Amaro
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: elsamelo@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Elsa Maria Oliveira Pinheiro de
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Melo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017592:Skin Care / Q000451:nursing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Incidence; Nursing; Nursing assessment; Pressure ulcer; Prevalence; Risk assessment