[Malnutrition and pressure injuries: results of a nursing intervention in hospitalized patients at risk].

Introduction

there is a close relationship between nutritional status and pressure injuries (PPI). Malnutrition and PII increase morbidity and mortality, hospitalization frequency, and costs.

Objectives

to analyze the impact/effectiveness of a nursing intervention in reducing pressure injuries in patients at risk and with nutritional deficiencies. Materials and methods: this study was conducted with a prospective, pre-post analytical design and retrospective data collection. The study population consisted of adult patients admitted with a Braden Scale score of ≤ 14 upon admission during 2022, 2024, and January 2025. Data collection was performed through electronic medical records, with descriptive analysis and associations of variables.

Results

the sample analyzed consisted of 394 patients, 196 pre- and 198 post. The incidence of pressure injuries was reduced from 17.9 % to 2.5 %. A higher percentage of patients at nutritional risk was detected: from 14.3 % to 73.2 % with MUST and from 12.8 % to 75.3 % with MNA. The concordance analysis between the Braden nutritional subscale and the MUST and MNA scales showed low concordance. There was an increase in the prescription of high-protein supplements and in nursing consultations, both with statistical significance. The hospital death rate decreased from 69.9 % to 32.8 %.

Conclusions

the results suggest that the implementation of a structured nurse-led intervention, based on the use of validated scales, is associated with improved detection of nutritional risk and a lower incidence of pressure injuries in hospitalized patients, although the study design does not allow causal relationships to be established.