Pressure injury (PI) study in a Malaysia tertiary hospital based on European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) minimum data set: Point prevalence, incidence, risk factors, and prediction scores.

INTRODUCTION

Pressure injury (PI) remains a concerning adverse event in hospitalised patients, with a prevalence of 12.8%. PI tend to prolong hospital stay, increase readmission, and negatively affect patients' quality of life. The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) asserts that the development of PI is preventable.

AIM: To identify the prevalence and determine the risk factors of PI among inpatients in a Southern tertiary hospital Malaysia.

RESULTS

A total of 433 inpatients were included. The point prevalence of PI was 11.5% while the incidence of Hospital-acquired Pressure Injury (HAPI) was 6.8% in this hospital. Risk factors of HAPI included terminal cachexia and malnutrition; paraplegia, decreased mobility, reduced activity, and motor weakness; unconscious; having connective tissue diseases; friction and shear; longer length of stay; Lower serum albumin and haemoglobin levels. Based on ROC analysis, the appropriate cut-off of predicting pressure injury was 15.5 for Braden Scale ("At-Risk" Category) and 21.5 for Waterlow Scale ("Very High-Risk" Category). Higher Charlson Comorbidity Index was associated with HAPI but not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

This study provided information to the local health authority for the establishment and implementation of the prevention strategies. Future point prevalence studies could be carried out to evaluate the efficacy of prevention programs.