Prevalence and incidence of pressure injuries in pediatric hospitals in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the incidence and prevalence of pressure injuries (PIs) in children admitted to hospitals in the city of São Paulo, and assess the association between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 543 children were evaluated, and their sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded. Student's t, Wilcoxon, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests were used to assess associations between risk factors and the occurrence of HAPIs. The proportion comparison test was used to assess the difference between the prevalence assessments performed at 2 different time points.

RESULTS

The mean prevalence was 7.1% and the mean incidence was 21.8%. Stage 1 PIs totaled 55% of the occurrences, followed by deep tissue injury, stage 2 PIs, and unstageable PIs. Twenty-five percent of PIs were associated with the use of medical devices. The sociodemographic characteristics significantly associated with HAPIs were white skin color and the absence of a parent or guardian as the patient's companion, whereas the clinical characteristics most significantly associated with HAPIs were hospitalization time greater than 30 days, enteral nutrition pathway, a chronic illness of the central nervous system, vasomotor medication, and mechanical ventilation (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of PIs among pediatric patients admitted to hospitals in São Paulo was similar to, and the incidence was higher than the reported international rates. Patients not accompanied by a parent, hospitalized for longer periods and in critical condition were those most affected by PIs.