Risk coefficient and prognosis of pressure ulcers of palliative care patients

Bed-bound palliative care patients have high risk for developing pressure ulcers. Treatment of pressure ulcers is more difficult than prevention, because of disease progression. Establishing risk coefficient and prognostic table for pressure ulcers will help for nurses for early prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

Objectives
To determine the risk coefficient of symptoms causing pressure ulcers of bed-bound patients and establish prognostic table for risk of developing pressure ulcers by V. Henkin method.

Materials and methods of study
Observation of 36 symptoms within 50 bed-bound palliative care patients with developed pressure ulcers and 50 bed-bound patients without pressure ulcers in hospices of Ulaanbaatar. Risk coefficient and informativeness of symptoms calculated by V Henkin method.

Results
High risk coefficient for pressure ulcers have symptoms as shown in table: Patient has high risk of irreversible pressure ulcers, if sum of risk coefficient ≥13 because of diseases. Pressure ulcers can develop because of poor care, if sum of risk coefficient is less than 9.

Risk
coefficient Informativeness
    of symptoms No skin sensation
No movement
paresis
Age over 60 year
Poor appetites
Incontinence
Bed-bound 01 month
Itching
Sweating
Cachexia 9.54
9.54

3.59
2.16
8.45
3.388
3.01
2.32
0.84 1.90
1.90

1.90
1.90
1.26
1.10
0.60
0.69
0.13

Conclusion
The risk coefficient and prognostic table can be used for prevention and prognosis of pressure ulcers in palliative care patients.