Pressure ulcer incidence among high-risk inpatients in Nigeria.

This main aim of this study was to determine the incidence of pressure ulcers among inpatients in selected hospitals in South West Nigeria. It also aimed to determine the body parts most susceptible to pressure ulcers. The study used a questionnaire completed by health workers in five hospitals, and 318 patients took part. Statistical methods used included descriptive statistics and non-parametric inferential statistics. Within the 12-week follow-up period, 44 patients developed nosocomial pressure ulcer(s). Inpatients with spinal cord injury (50%), orthopaedic (38.6%) and head injury (11.4%) related diagnoses were the most prone to developing pressure ulcers. The commonest areas where pressure ulcers developed were the sacrum, heel, greater trochanter and lateral and medial malleoli. The median time for the skin to develop an ulcer was 25 days after admission. There was a significant association between diagnosis and the number of days taken to develop pressure ulcers (c2=3.76, p=0.05). This study concluded that: the incidence rate was 13.84%; spinal cord injury was the clinical condition most likely to be associated with pressure ulcer development; and pressure ulcers occurred most frequently on the sacrum.