OBJECTIVES: to examine the association between pressure ulcer (PU) in critical care patients and their Braden scale score and the association between patient acuity and nursing workload, and to identify the risk factors for pressure ulcer among patients in critical care units (CCUs). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with 74 patients in three CCUs at a major hospital. Data were collected prospectively using the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II), the nursing activities score (NAS), and the Braden scale. RESULTS: Approximately a third of patients (31%) had a PU. Factors associated with PUs were age, days of hospital stay, the score on the Braden scale, and the score on the SAPS II. The score on the NAS was not associated with PUs. Scores on the SAPS II and NAS were moderately correlated with the score on the Braden scale. CONCLUSION: The development of PUs was associated with advanced age, longer hospital stay, and patient acuity. Patient acuity and nursing workload were predictors of UPs.
Pressure ulcer; Intensive care units
