The Nutritional Rule in Pressure Ulcer Prevention Among ICU Patients

Supervisor

Dr. Jamal Qaddumi

Abstract

Introduction

The European pressure ulcer advisory panel (EPUAP) description was used to define the pressure ulcer as “an area of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear, friction, and\or combination of these things”, that include 4 classifications.

Which is one of the major complications in ICUs, that have a high prevalence rate,; the prevalence in European hospitals ranges from 8.3% to 23%, and the prevalence is 26% in Canadian healthcare setting^[1] and Incidence varies between 2.9% and 4.5% in intensive care.

There are many risk factors that contribute in pressure ulcer development in ICU; such as limitation in their overall physical activity and mobility resulting in decreased ability to actively change their position, malnutrition; specially serum albumen and hemoglobin level, that in our project we had focused on and investigate, in order to find; if these two variable are playing a major role in PUs prevention. That will be measured according to nutritional and skin assessment. And to examine the validity of our hypothesis; if the nutrition is a major factor that affect the pressure ulcer prevention among ICU patients.

Aim

To investigate the role of nutrition in preventing pressure ulcer occurrence among ICU patients.

Methodology

Cross sectional design, was conducted in this study. A19 subjects was collected from 3 hospitals in Nablus, West Bank, according to our inclusion criteria, the Data was collected by using Questionnaire that divided into two parts; the 1^st one for the initial data, and the 2^nd part include Nutrition, Skin and pressure Ulcer assessment.

Results and conclusion

The rule of nutrition in preventing pressure ulcers is uncertain.

Several factors can play a role in pressure ulcer prevention and the nutrition alone is not enough for preventing pressure ulcer occuerance and also pressure ulcer healing. Serum albumin, BMI, age group and level of consciousness; are additional factors that assist and support the pressure ulcer prevention.

Keywords

Pressure Ulcer, Serum albumin, Hemoglobin and BMI.