Risk factors associated with pressure ulcers in the pediatric patient following open--heart surgery.

From a retrospective chart audit conducted on 59 infants and children who had survived open-heart surgery, 16.9% were found to have developed ulcers on the occipital region of their scalps during the postoperative period. Four risk factors were identified: age, type of congenital heart defect, length of time intubated, and length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). A protocol designed to decrease the amount of pressure and shearing force applied to the occipital region of these patients postoperatively was implemented. A dramatic decline to 4.8% in the incidence of pressure ulcers was noted after implementation of the protocol.