PRESSURE injuries developed in one in six ICU patients, often within days, in a prospective cohort.
In a public hospital in central India, 50 of 324 adults (15.4%; 95% CI, 11.7–19.8%) developed a new pressure injury during their ICU stay. The findings point to an early window for identifying patients who may need closer skin assessment and preventive support.
Pressure Injuries in ICU Patients Appeared Early
The prospective study followed eligible adults admitted to the hospital’s ICUs from August through October 2024. Researchers collected demographic and clinical information, Braden and APACHE II scores, and nursing hours per patient-day. Two nurse researchers staged new pressure injuries using international guidelines.
Across the 50 affected patients, the team identified 87 new injuries. Incidence density was 39.1 injuries per 1,000 patient-days (95% CI, 31.32–48.23). Most injuries were stage I or II and occurred in the sacrococcygeal area. Median time to onset was 4 days, making assessment during the first several days of admission particularly relevant.
Fever, Feeding, and Mobility Showed Strong Associations
In univariable analyses of 16 variables, early fever showed the strongest reported association with pressure injury (odds ratio [OR], 7.33; 95% CI, 3.38–15.88). Exclusive non-oral feeding was associated with higher odds (OR, 5.73; 95% CI, 2.75–11.95), as was needing assistance with repositioning (OR, 4.56; 95% CI, 2.06–10.09).
Other associated factors were admission to a medical ICU (OR, 3.73), a moderate-to-obese body build (OR, 2.84), and vasoactive drug use (OR, 2.31). Each additional ICU day was associated with higher odds (OR, 1.23 per day). These estimates describe separate, unadjusted associations. They do not establish that any factor causes pressure injury or independently predicts it when other factors are considered.
Implications for ICU Assessment
The authors identify early assessment, nutritional optimization, and mobility support as priorities for patients with these profiles. The short median time to onset reinforces the need to assess skin and repositioning needs promptly, then revisit them as clinical status and length of stay change.
Because the study took place at one hospital and used univariable analyses, its findings should not be treated as a validated ICU risk score. The authors call for multicenter research to test how well the findings generalize and to validate ICU-specific assessment tools.
Reference
Peter R et al. Incidence and risk factors of pressure injury in adult ICU patients: a prospective cohort study. Nurs Crit Care. 2026;31(6):e70707.
Featured Image: sudok1 on Adobe Stock.
Featured Image: sudok1 on Adobe Stock.
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