Pressure ulcers in German nursing homes and acute care hospitals: Prevalence, frequency, and ulcer characteristics

In German healthcare facilities, research-based knowledge of pressure ulcers and their relation to patient characteristics is limited. To provide information for national and international comparison on pressure ulcers and related issues, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted among 21,574 German hospital patients and nursing home residents (147 institutions total) in 2002 and 2003. Prevalence and frequency rates of pressure ulcers in people at risk (Braden score of <= 20) in different institution types were compared and descriptive data on severity, location, history, and origin of 3,857 wounds were analyzed to examine the relationship between age, body mass index, and Braden score and the frequency and severity of wounds. The studies found that among all persons at risk, pressure ulcer prevalence was 21.1% and that the number of pressure ulcers per person was higher in hospitals (1.91, 24.6%) than in nursing homes (1.42, 13.9%). In addition, in hospital patients and nursing home residents, 36.4% and 46.7% of wounds, respectively, were grade 2 severity and higher. In both types of institutions, the most common pressure ulcer locations were the lower back and the heels. In hospital patients, 51.4% of pressure ulcers were facility-acquired, compared to 60.2% in nursing homes. In hospital patients and nursing home residents, 7.4% and 29.7% of wounds, respectively, had existed for more than 3 months. The studies also found that persons with lower Braden scale scores had more ulcers and more severe pressure ulcers. Analysis of wounds in this large patient population provides more detailed information about the problem of pressure ulcers and should help improve prevention and treatment.