Decubitus Ulcers in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury in Different Hospitals of Lahore

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord damage is a debilitating nervous disorder that has a significant economic, social, and psychological burden on those who are affected as well as the healthcare system. The spinal cord can be damaged due to either trauma to the cord or spinal cord dysfunctions. Pressure injuries are the leading secondary complication in patients with spinal cord injuries. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to document the prevalence of decubitus ulcers in spinal cord injury patients.  METHOD: It was a cross-sectional study that included a sample of 114 patients either male or female with traumatic spinal cord injury or non-traumatic spinal cord injury with age ranging from less than 12 years to greater than 89 years from various hospitals in Lahore. The sampling technique used was non-probability convenient sampling. Written consent was taken from all patients before the collection of data. Pressure ulcer assessment was done using the European pressure ulcer prevalence study questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS STATISTICS-25.0 version. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, with the use of bar charts or pie charts. RESULTS: Out of 114 patients 68 patients were male (59.6%) and 46 were female (40.4%). This study concluded that 58.9% of patients had decubitus ulcers whether severe or at stage one of PU as a secondary complication of spinal cord injury. From the total sample of 114 patients 49.9% of participants had the most severe decubitus ulcers mostly on the sacrum which can lead to infection and requires surgical interventions such as debridement. Stage 1 decubitus ulcers were seen on the elbow and back. CONCLUSION: More than half of the patients included in this study had one or more pressure ulcers that can be damaging to their health and quality of life. In developed and developing countries pressure ulcers are widespread but are preventable.
 Key Words:
 Spinal cord injury, pressure ulcer, sacrum