Analysis of risk factors for bedsores in palliative care patients

Bedsores are a common complication occurring in chronically and terminally ill people. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of some risk factors on bedsores formation in the patients of Palliative Care Unit on the basis of the analysis of Standard of Bedsores Prevention and Treatment documentation.

Data analysis was carried out on the basis of the questionnaire comprising information from case histories of 100 consecutively admitted patients. To analyse the risk of bedsores formation Waterlow scale was used. The study results were subjected to statistical analysis with the use of U Mann-Whitney test. Spearman’s coefficient of correlation was also measured.

Among 10 assessed factors having the impact on the occurrence of the risk of bedsores in the group of patients with new bedsores the most common were: lowered motor activity (11 patients), improper skin condition (11 patients), urinary and fecal incontinence (9 patients), and undertreated pain and/ or dyspnoea (9 patients). None of the factors were gender-dependent. Significant positive correlation between age and bedsores was determined.