Factors associated with skin and mucosal lesions caused by medical devices in newborns: Observational study

Aim and objective To identify the occurrence of skin and mucosal lesions and factors related to the use of medical devices in newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. Background The use of medical devices increases the risk of injury in newborns due to the immaturity and fragility of their skin and mucosa. Design Observational and longitudinal study. Methods The study included 85 newborns admitted to in a neonatal intensive care unit from a public teaching hospital. Data were collected from February-August 2018. For the evaluation, the Neonatal Skin Condition Score was used, as well as an instrument covering sociodemographic and clinical variables, medical devices in use and materials for skin protection. The study followed the recommendations STROBE. Simple frequency, measures of central tendency and variability, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results Of the n = 85 newborns evaluated, n = 62 (72.9%) presented skin or mucosal lesions caused using medical devices, excoriations being the most observed n = 55 (64.7%), and n = 32 (37.6%) had 1-3 lesions. As the number of devices increased, so did the number of lesions. On the other hand, the age of the newborn and the number of lesions were inversely proportional. Conclusion Most participants, n = 62 (72.9%), had skin or mucosal lesions associated with medical devices. The number of medical devices used and the age of the newborn were predictors for this occurrence. Relevance to clinical practice The results show that it is fundamental that nurses know the factors that can interfere in the skin and mucosa conditions and, thus, promote the implementation of injury prevention measures in newborns, supporting safe and quality care.