Medical device related pressure ulcers in Jordan: Prevalence study among critically ill patients

BACKGROUND: Medical device‐related pressure ulcers are increasingly common in critical care units. These ulcers can be complicated due to the necessity of the device for diagnosis or treatment. PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of and risk for medical device‐related pressure ulcers in critical care units in Jordan in addition to identifying the preventive measures for those ulcers as well as identifying the most frequently used medical devices that cause ulcers and to assess the relationships between prevention measures and developing ulcers. METHODS: A cross‐sectional survey was used to assess ulcers among 318 patients who were elder than 18 years old. Data collection was based on an outline published by the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, Braden Scale, and an author‐developed specific checklist. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of medical device‐related pressure ulcers was 38.1%. Most affected sites were sacrum and heel, and most affected were those with old age, being admitted to public hospitals, and with a prolonged hospital stay. About half of the patients (46.3%) had severe risk. Only 17% of the patients who were at risk got adequate preventive measures. Face masks, endotracheal tubes, pulse oximetry probes, and intravenous catheters were associated with almost half of the ulcers. CONCLUSION: Medical device‐related pressure ulcers are threats to patient safety and quality of nursing care in hospitals, which require determining appropriate preventive measures. Key messages: Medical device‐related pressure ulcers are common among patients in critical care units, which raise the need to evaluate the prevalence of such type of ulcers in those patients. Three hundred and eighteen patients were investigated for the prevalence of medical device‐related pressure ulcers through a cross‐sectional survey. Patients in critical care units in Jordan had a high prevalence rate for medical device‐related pressure ulcers, which require the need to apply appropriate preventive measures.