[Pressure ulcer risk and pressure ulcer prevalence in German hospitals and nursing homes].

In the spring of 2008, the "Institut für Medizin-/Pflegepädagogik und Pflegewissenschaft der Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin" conducted a nationwide prevalence study for the seventh time. Among other things, data was collected concerning pressure ulcer risk and pressure ulcer prevalence in German nursing homes and hospitals. 3345 residents from 37 nursing homes and 3391 patients from 19 hospitals were included in this study. Altogether, 3192 of them were at risk for pressure ulcers. In nursing homes, the percentage of persons at risk for pressure ulcer development was 62.5 percent, in hospitals 39.4 percent. 297 persons from the at risk group had at least one pressure ulcer. Pressure ulcer prevalence in hospitals was 12.7 percent and in the nursing homes 7.3 percent, respectively. Concerning pressure ulcer risk and pressure ulcer prevalence, there were considerable differences between individual hospitals and departments. Even with comparable risk groups, differences in pressure ulcer prevalence were found.