Risk Factors for Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers in Patients with Pelvic Fractures: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose Patients with pelvic fractures often experience pain and bed immobilization, and they are at risk of developing pressure ulcer. In the existing literature, there is a lack of information on this aspect. Therefore, this study aims to explore and determine the risk factors for pressure injury in patients with pelvic fractures during hospitalization. Methods A retrospective database analysis was conducted based on the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2013 to 2022, enrolling patients hospitalized for pelvic fractures. The study evaluated the patients' demographic data, hospital characteristics, length of stay, total hospital costs, hospital mortality rates, comorbidities, and complications.[[i]] Results A total of 239,407 patients with pelvic fractures were included, of which 5141 experienced pressure injuries during hospitalization. The total incidence rate is 2.15%, showing an increasing trend year by year. Patients who experience pressure injuries are typically older and it often occurs in small to medium-sized hospitals, and it is usually paid for with health insurance. Its occurrence is related to more comorbidities, longer hospital stay, higher hospitalization mortality rate, and higher hospitalization costs. Risk factors related to stress injury include teaching hospitals, selective admission, anemia, multiple comorbidities, chronic heart failure, diabetes (including those without chronic complications and those with chronic complications), electrolyte disorder, metastatic cancer, other neurological diseases, mental diseases, paralysis, peripheral vascular diseases, chronic renal failure, weight loss, and dermatitis. In addition, pressure injury was associated with urinary tract infection, acute renal failure, deep vein thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia. Self-financing, private insurance, women and alcohol abuse were protective factors. Conclusions The results of the study showed that the incidence of pressure injury in patients with pelvic fractures during hospitalization was 2.15%. The occurrence of pressure injury was related to comorbidities, complications, total hospitalization costs, length of hospital stay, and small and medium-sized hospitals. It is beneficial to study the risk factors associated with pelvic fractures to mitigate their consequences.