Clinical Parameters Associated With Pressure Ulcer Healing in Patients With Advanced Illness

Abstract

Higher levels of PPS scores are associated with complete healing of Stage II pressure ulcers in patients with advanced illness.

Prevalence, incidence and associated factors of pressure ulcers in home palliative care patients: A retrospective chart review

“…Furthermore, although terminally ill patients are at high risk of pressure ulcers, 3,27 little evidence exists on their prevalence and incidence in palliative care settings. 3,21 In particular, the prevalence in hospices varies between 13.0% and 47.0%.…”

Pressure Injury Progression and Factors Associated With Different End-Points in a Home Palliative Care Setting: A Retrospective Chart Review Study

“…The healing percentages of both stages were higher than those found by studies conducted in comparable settings. 25,29 Our findings showed that a complete healing process might be considered a realistic goal for pressure injuries occurring at least in the second week before the patient's death.…”

“…Very few studies on the course of pressure injuries in palliative care are available, among which the most important was conducted in hospital and community. 29 Therefore, our study represents one of the first attempts 55 to analyze progression, outcomes, and associate factors of pressure injuries in patients with advanced illnesses cared for in home palliative care. The old age, the poor performance status at admission, and the high risk of pressure injury development of our sample were comparable with those of prior palliative care studies.…”

“…The available evidence, referred to a mixed home and/or hospital context, reveals healing rates of 18.9% for Stage I pressure injuries, and ranging from 9.4% to 10.4% among Stage II injuries. 25,29 A study conducted in hospice reports a proportion of 8.4% (all stages) of healed injuries. 30 Specific data about the course of pressure injuries in the home palliative care setting and the factors associated with the different management goals are lacking.…”

Prognosis: the “missing link” within the CanMEDS competency framework

“…The occurrence of sentinel events in dementia cases such as dysphagia, sepsis, and pressure ulcers also portend a shortened life expectancy [ 14 , 15 ]. Examples of assessment tools that facilitate quoad sanantionem include the FIM (Functional Independence Measure) [ 16 , 17 ] being predictive of neurologic recovery in stroke patients, and PPS being predictive of pressure ulcer healing [ 18 ]. However, despite the existence of data on such factors, instruments, and models, the process of knowledge translation remains laggard, rendering physician utilization low.…”