Reduced Tissue Thickness Over the Sacrum as a Risk Factor for Pressure Sores

Abstract

The tissue thickness over the sacrum area was measured using anthropometric measurements in 50 elderly patients with pressure sores over the sacrum, in 213 elderly patients and in 24 elderly subjects without pressure sores. The total population was classified by the Norton score, by arterial blood pressure, and by two different weight and height indices. The patients with pressure sores had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (131±17 mmHg) compared to the elderly subjects (142±22 mmHg). Patients with pressure sores had significantly reduced sacral skinfold thickness (8.5±3 mm, p<0.001) and body mass index (19.5±4, p<0.001) compared both to elderly patients without pressure sores (12±6 mm; 22±4) and to the elderly subjects (14±7 mm; 25±6). The age of the elderly patients with pressure sores was significantly correlated to their reduced sacral skinfold thickness. A significant correlation was found between the sacral skinfold thickness and the body mass index in all groups and also between the sacral skinfold thickness and the Norton score in all elderly patients. Measurements of the tissue thickness with a skinfold calliper is a simple way of screening the elderly patient at risk for pressure sores already at the admission to hospital.