The incidence of pressure ulcers in surgical patients: a sample hospital in Turkey

Aim. This research was conducted for the purpose of determining the incidence of surgery‐related pressure ulcer formation. Background. Patients undergoing surgery are prone to develop pressure ulcers during surgery. Pressure ulcer incidence in surgery population is reported between 3·5% and 29·5%. Some of these factors that occur during surgery are being under pressure for a long time, remaining wet, and metabolic and circulatory changes related to the surgery and anaesthesia. Design. The research was conducted as a prospective‐analytic‐descriptive study with 84 patients who agreed to participate in the study and who were 20 years old or older, having elective surgery, having a surgical procedure lasting two or more hours under general anaesthesia, and who had no risk for pressure ulcer development before surgery according to the Braden Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale. Research data were obtained using a Data Collection Form that has places for pre‐, intra‐ and postoperative factors that may be related to surgery‐related pressure ulcer development; a Body Mass Index Data Form and the Braden Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale. The Braden Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale was used to determine that patients had no risk for pressure ulcer development pre‐ and postoperatively and it was used for the purpose of establishing the patients risk status and areas at risk. Patients were monitored for pressure ulcers until the sixth postoperative day and risk status and areas at risk were determined. Data obtained in the research were analysed using percentage, chi‐squared, McNemar and Cohen's Kappa tests for reliability between dependent groups. Results. At the conclusion of the research, the findings obtained showed that 54·8% of the patients (n = 46) were observed to have Stage 1 pressure ulcers. A total of 41·3% of the patients had pressure ulcers in more than one region and 56·5% of these were of the erythema type. During the six‐day postoperative monitoring, 97·9% of the pressure ulcers were observed in the first three days. Conclusion. The study made clear that surgery‐related pressure ulcers are an important problem. Relevance to clinical practice. (i) Determining the incidence of pressure ulcers during surgery in Turkey; (ii) For nurses to be able to prevent surgery‐related pressure ulcers, it is necessary for them to direct their care by knowing factors that have a role in the development of pressure ulcers during surgery therefore this study will be to call Turkish nurse's attention to pressure ulcers during surgery.