Pressure Ulcer Prevalence and Risk Factors During Prolonged Surgical Procedures

Pressure ulcer formation related to positioning while in the OR increases the length of hospital stay and hospital costs, but there is little evidence documenting how positioning devices used in the OR influence pressure ulcer development when examined with traditional risk factors. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to identify the prevalence of and risk factors associated with pressure ulcer development among patients undergoing surgical procedures lasting longer than three hours. Participants included all adult same-day admission patients scheduled for a three-hour surgical procedure during an eight-month period (N = 258). Data were gathered preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively on pressure ulcer risk factors. Bivariate analyses indicated that the type of positioning (ie, heels elevated) (χ2 = 7.897, P = .048), OR bed surface (ie, foam table pad) (χ2 = 15.848, P = .000), skin assessment in the postanesthesia care unit (χ2 = 41.652, P = .000), and male gender (χ2 = 6.984, P = .030) were associated with pressure ulcer development. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the use of a foam pad (β = 2.691, P = .024) and a lower day-one Braden score (β = .244, P = .003) were predictive of pressure ulcers.