COSTA Andreia Filipa Fonseca Cruz, Dissertação mestrado.pdf

ABSTRACT
The Pressure Ulcers are currently pointed out in the scientific literature as a complex
problem caused by multiple factors, which involves high costs both at individual, family and
socio-economic level. Moreover, taking into account that its prevention is an indicator of
quality in nursing care and that the Trauma Victim involves a high risk of developing
Pressure Ulcers, the relevance of the research "Development of Pressure Ulcer in a Trauma
Victim " becomes explicit.
This is a retrospective, observational, descriptive and co relational study , whose
objectives have been outlined in order to obtain scientific and valid answers to the research
questions: to determine the prevalence of Pressure Ulcers in a Trauma Victim; to identify
factors predisposing to the development of Pressure Ulcers in a Trauma Victim. To achieve
them, a non-probability convenience sample was used; this sample consists of individuals
admitted to the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital Infante D. Pedro, Aveiro,
between January 1 to December 31, 2010, a total of 500 trauma victim participants. Data
were collected from the computer system, based on a clinical scale.
Through the results analysis we can conclude that the prevalence of Pressure Ulcers
in a Trauma Victim is 4%, considering that the factors predisposing to the development of
Pressure Ulcers are: the Trauma Victims advanced age (U = 2422.00, z = -3,756, p =
0.000), longer period of hospitalization (U = 2562.50, z = -3,549, p = 0.000), lower
diastolic blood pressure (U = 2618.50, z = -2,115, p = 0.034), higher pain intensity (last
evaluation) (U = 2940.00, z = -1,978, p = 0.048); self-care dependency: eating and drinking
(χ 2 = 12,614, p = 0.000); presence of diabetes mellitus (p= 0.000); presence of diabetes
mellitus: insulin-dependent (p = 0.033), the fact that the patient has urinary catheter at
admission (p = 0.025) ; the need for placement of urinary catheter during hospital stay
(χ 2 = 38,594, p = 0.000), use of diapers (p = 0.004), self- care dependency: hygiene and
protection of teguments (χ 2 = 4,269, p = 0.039); presence of cutaneous tegument: dry
skin (p = 0.046), need for physical restraint (p = 0.036), ); taking of antibiotics (χ 2 =
9.197; p = 0.002);taking of anti-inflammatory pills (χ 2 = 8.704; p = 0.003) longer time since
admission until the 1st application of the Braden Scale (U = 2899.50, z = -1,970, p =
0.049) ; higher risk of Pressure Ulcer: first evaluation (U = 1539.50, z = -4,456, p =
0.000) higher risk of Pressure Ulcer: last evaluation (U = 1487.50, z = -4,529, p = 0.000).
The results suggest that the etiology of developing Pressure Ulcers in a Trauma
Victim is multifactorial. Thus, we it´s highly relevant that the nurses consider the Trauma
Victims age, the length of their hospital stay, diastolic blood pressure, amount of pain, self-