Epidemiological Profile of Pressure Ulcers in the Emergency Department of the University Hospital Center of Hospital du Mali

Abstract

Introduction: Pressure ulcers are skin lesions of ischemic origin linked to compression of the soft tissues between a hard surface and the bony protrusions. In 2016, 5.17% of patients developed preventable pressure ulcers in hospital. From this study, the Hopital du Mali reinforced the care teams and involved carers in pressure ulcer prevention actions. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of pressure ulcers as well as prevention actions and their management in the emergency department. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study from January 1 to December 31, 2020, based on the observation of the onset of pressure ulcers in patients. We included all patients hospitalized at the short-stay unit level. Results: of the 305 patients hospitalized during the period, 15 developed bedsores, or 4.9% prevalence rate. The sex ratio was 1.2. The average age of our series is 52 ± 14 years old, ranging between 21 and 87 years old. Seventy percent (70%) of pressure ulcers were discovered at stage I. Pressure ulcers located in the inter-gluteal folds were the most frequent with 90%. Conclusion: this study has enabled us to understand that the prevalence of pressure ulcers has decreased from 5.17% to 4.9% over the past four years. It encourages us to deepen the examination of the clinical, therapeutic and progressive peculiarities of this disease which is a credible indicator of the quality of care in a hospital structure.