Intraoperatively acquired pressure ulcers in spinal surgery patients: A retrospective study

Abstract

Pressure ulcers can result from having spinal surgery. Medical records of 142 spinal surgery patients were examined for incidence of pressure ulcers and to identify factors associated with ulcer development. Early stage pressure ulcers (persistent skin redness and/or blistering) were documented in 24.6% of the records. The mean surgery length for those acquiring pressure ulcers was 4.2 ± 1.6 hr, compared to 3.3 ± 1.5 hr for those who did not (p = 0.002). The average age of those developing pressure ulcers was 60.1 ± 13.8 yr, compared to 50.5 ± 16.3 yr for ulcer free patients (p = 0.002). Mean intraoperative blood loss was 1551 ± 1185 ml for those developing pressure ulcers, compared to 1081.6 ± 1104.2 ml for those who did not (p = 0.049). Finally, pressure ulcer development was associated with diabetes mellitus and a higher preoperative blood sugar value. These findings may help identify spinal surgery patients at risk for pressure ulcers.