Surgical Treatment of 55 Patients with Pressure Ulcers at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Kosovo during the Period 2000–2010: A Retrospective Study

Agon Y. Mekaj,Mimoza E. Selmani,Shkelzen B. Duci,Adem N. Kllokoqi,Musli M. Gashi,Enver T. Hoxha,Hysni M. Arifi,Zejn A. Buja,Vildane H. Ismajli

doi:10.1155/2013/129692

Agon Y. Mekaj, Mimoza E. Selmani + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/129692

Copy DOI

Abstract

Objective. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of PUs, the distribution of PUs, common injuries contributing to the occurrence of PUs in patients admitted to the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Kosovo for surgical interventions of PUs, localization of PUs in body, the topical treatment of pressure ulcers before surgical intervention, the methods of surgical interventions, number of surgical interventions, duration of treatment, complications, and mortality. Materials and Methods. This study includes 55 patients with PUs treated surgically in 2000–2010 period in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Kosovo. The data were collected and analyzed from the archives and protocols of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Data processing was done with the statistical package In Stat 3. From statistical parameters arithmetic median and standard deviation were calculated. Data testing is done with χ 2-test and the difference is significant if P < 0.05. Conclusion. Despite preventive measures against PUs, the incidence of Pus remains high.

Highlights

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as localized injury to the skin or underlying tissue usually over bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear or friction [1, 2]
The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of PUs in our population, the distribution of PUs, common injuries contributing to the occurrence of PUs in patients admitted to the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Kosovo for surgical interventions of PUs, localization of PUs in the body, the topical treatment of pressure ulcers before surgical intervention, the methods of surgical interventions, number of surgical interventions, duration of treatment, complications and mortality
The incidence of pressure ulcers was noted to be higher in the age group 30–39 with 20 cases or 36.3% followed by children where the children are considered up to the age 19 years old by WHO with 10 cases (18.1%), 20–29 years 9 cases (16.3%), 40–49 years 5 cases (9%), 50–59 years 5 cases (9%), 60–69 years 2 cases (3.6%), and over 70 years 4 cases (7.2%)

Summary

Introduction

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as localized injury to the skin or underlying tissue usually over bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear or friction [1, 2]. PUs are classified by the level of visible tissue damage, where stage I PUs exhibit nonblanchable erythematic (i.e., redness) on intact skin, stage II PUs are partial thickness ulcers, and stages III and IV ulcers involve full-thickness damage [4]. They are believed to occur from combination of extrinsic forces such as pressure, shear, and friction and intrinsic factors such as age, malnourishment, and consciousness level that influence a person’s tissue tolerance [5, 6]. Previous studies have identified the following factors as increasing the likelihood of developing a pressure ulcer: immobility, admission to the ICU, malnutrition, incontinence, hypoalbuminemia, spinal cord injury, stroke, reduced level of consciousness, fractures and/or major orthopedic procedure, advanced age, trauma, decreased perfusion, poor wound healing, inadequate nursing care, and chronic illness [7,8,9,10].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion