Risk Factors Associated With Pressure Ulcers in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

To identify risk factors that are associated with the development of pressure ulcers in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Case control study with no interventions held in a 30-bed PICU of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston. The study included 59 patients who developed pressure ulcers in the PICU and 59 patients who were critically ill who did not develop pressure ulcers during the same time period. Risk assessment data collection tool and Braden scale. A comparison was done to identify risk factors between 2 groups of pediatric patients with and without pressure ulcers. A 45-indicator assessment tool was used. Physical assessment including staging of pressure ulcers was performed. Risk factors associated with pressure ulcers include edema (P = .0016), length of stay > 96 hours (P = .001), increasing positive end expiratory pressure (P = .002), not turning the patient or use of a specialty bed in the turning mode (P = .0001), and weight loss (P < .0001). The presence of edema, increasing length of stay, patients on increasing positive-end expiratory pressure, not turning the patient, use of a specialty bed in the turning mode, and weight loss are associated with the increased risk of development of pressure ulcers in patients in the PICU.