Prevalence and incidence of pressure sores in acute spinal cord injuries.

The prevalence of pressure sores following acute spinal cord injury was determined on 549 patients who entered the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care Centre from 1973 until June 1978. The compiled data was based upon system versus non-system entry, anatomical levels of injury, multiple site or single site location, complete or incomplete physiological injury, and the presence of pressure sores on admission or their development during system hospitalisation. The results showed that non-system patients had a significantly higher prevalence of pressure sores in all categories. The level of anatomical injury as well as the physiological intactness of the spinal cord were found to be the most important factors in the actual prevalence. The cervical region was found to have the highest prevalence of pressure sores at single and multiple sites. Complete lesions and quadraplegics had a higher prevalence of pressure sores than incomplete lesions and paraplegics. The probable explanations are presented.