American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Jun 1988
Risk factors for early occurring pressure ulcers following spinal cord injury.
We carried out a prospective study to determine the association between immobilization in the immediate postinjury period and the development of pressure ulcers in spinal cord-injured patients following their admission to Charity Hospital, New Orleans. Of 39 patients consecutively admitted to the hospital, 23 (59%) developed a grade one ulcer within 30 days, mostly in the sacral region (57%), the peak time of onset being day 4 postinjury (6/23 cases). ⋯ Time on the spinal board was also significantly associated with ulcers developing within 8 days (P = 0.01), but not with ulcers developing within 30 days (P = 0.09). An unexpected finding was the significant inverse association between systolic blood pressure and the development of ulcers both within 8 days (P = 0.03) and within 30 days (P = 0.02), suggesting that reduced tissue perfusion increases the spinal cord-injured patient's susceptibility to pressure ulcers.