An assessment of the prevalence and factors associated with healing outcomes of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers among patients with spinal cord injury in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Abstract

Pressure ulcers remain a perennial challenge in the management of patients with spinal cord injury in 
developing countries due to lack of preventive facilities and trained personnel. This study assessed the 
prevalence and factors associated with healing outcomes of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers among 
patients with spinal cord injury in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. A retrospective case chart review of 
patients with spinal cord injury between January, 1997 and December, 2006 was carried out. Data were 
gleaned on gender, age, marital status, presence and number pressure ulcers per patient, worst hit 
body site by pressure ulcer, cause of spinal cord injury, spinal cord injury level, American spinal injury 
association impairment score (AIS), diabetes status, stage of worst hit body site and outcomes of 
healing. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics at α 0.05. The prevalence of 
pressure ulcers in the study was 51.58%. The sacrum and coccyx (56.20%) were the worst hit body sites 
by pressure ulcers. Gender (p = 0.00), aetiology of spinal cord injury (p = 0.01) and stage of worst hit 
body site by PU (p = 0.00) were associated with healing outcomes. The prevalence of pressure 
ulceration was high with a high majority of the ulcers not healing.