Factors affecting the occurrence of pressure injuries among patients receiving targeted temperature management after cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND

Pressure injuries (PIs) are a well-known complication of critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit with targeted temperature management (TTM) after cardiac arrest (CA). However, little is known about the factors that impact the occurrence of PIs among these patients.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine factors related to the occurrence of PIs among patients after CA treated with TTM.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study collected data from 126 patients after CA aged 18 years or older from a single tertiary hospital admitted between January 2017 and December 2019. Demographic, clinical, and medical device-related characteristics were collected by patient chart review. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to the occurrence of PIs.

RESULTS

The study showed that the incidence of PIs was 31.8%. Patients who were male (odds ratio [OR], 4.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-19.08), developed diarrhoea (OR, 4.90, 95% CI, 1.31-18.41), or were subjected to physical restraint (OR, 6.03; 95% CI, 1.52-23.96) were at a higher risk of developing PIs. A lower risk of developing PIs was associated with the Glasgow Coma Scale score greater than 13 on the third day of admission (OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.01-0.52), higher haemoglobin level (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.49-0.86), or low nutritional risk index (≤100) (OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.02-0.57).

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses should be aware that patients treated with TTM after CA are at a high risk of developing PIs from the moment of admission and should be closely monitored.