Pressure Ulcers and Demographic Characteristics of Patients in a Training and Research Hospital Home Healthcare Unit

Objective: The main feature of the concept of home care is that healthcare services are provided to the person at home by healthcare professionals. Pressure ulcer development is common in patients receiving home healthcare services. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of pressure ulcers and the risk factors for pressure ulcer development in patients followed up in Atatürk Training and Research Hospital Home Health Unit.
Methods: The files of 387 patients who were followed up and treated for ulcers in the Home Healthcare Unit of Atatürk Training and Research Hospital between 01.01.2022 and 31.12.2022 were reviewed for the study. The files of 267 patients with pressure ulcers were included in the study.
Results: A total of 267 patients, 170 (63.7%) of whom were female, were included in the study. The mean age of the patients with pressure ulcers was 80.3±12.2 years. The most common sites of pressure ulcers were the gluteus (36%), sacrum (30%), heel (8%), back (7%), and coccyx (6%). Twenty seven (7%) ulcers were classified as stage 1, 214 (57%) as stage 2, 114 (31%) as stage 3, and 19 (5%) as stage 4 pressure ulcers. There were 109 (40.8%) patients who were tube fed and 120 (44.9%) patients who were fed with an oral nutritional solution.
Conclusion: The assessment of risk factors should be part of the initial examination of every patient admitted to the home healthcare system. The importance of nutritional support in patients in the high-risk group should be emphasized.