Tsaousi G, Stavrou G, Ioannidis A, Salonikidis S, Kotzampassi K, et al.
Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Scienc.... Date of publication 2015 Jan 1;volume 24(1):11-6.
1. Med Princ Pract. 2015;24(1):11-6. doi: 10.1159/000368360. Epub 2014 Nov 7.
Pressure ulcers and malnutrition: results from a snapshot sampling in a
university hospital.
Tsaousi G(1), Stavrou G, Ioannidis A, Salonikidis S, Kotzampassi K.
Author information:
(1)Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit, AHEPA University
Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
Thessaloniki, Greece.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to ascertain the factors potentially contributing to the
manifestation of pressure ulcers (PU) due to poor nutritional status in a
nonselected hospitalized population.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of 471 adult inpatients
treated at our university hospital. Study parameters included anthropometric
data, demographics, medical history, mood status, diet-related factors and
self-perception of health status. For each participant, the body mass index (BMI)
was calculated, and a malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) was used to
screen for nutritional deficiencies, with the presence of PU constituting the
outcome of interest. An independent-samples t test, χ(2) analysis and logistic
regression analysis were performed.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of PU in our cohort was 14.2%. Advanced age, low
BMI, poor health status by self-assessment, serious mood disorders, malnutrition,
abnormal appetite status, a quantity of food intake half of normal, an artificial
diet, limited or no autonomy in everyday activities (p < 0.01 for all) and recent
weight loss (p < 0.05) were identified as important determinants for the
manifestation of PU. Multivariate analysis highlighted limited autonomy in
everyday activities (OR 6.456 and 95% CI 3.212-12.973; p = 0.000), MUST score (OR
3.825 and 95% CI 1.730-8.455; p = 0.001) and artificial diet (OR 1.869 and 95% CI
1.247-2.802; p = 0.018) as the most powerful predictors of PU development.
CONCLUSION: Poor nutritional status, limited autonomy in everyday activities and
artificial nutrition seemed to confer noteworthy prognostic value regarding PU
development in the acute-care setting.
© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.
DOI: 10.1159/000368360
PMCID: PMC5588197
PMID: 25402507 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
