Abstract
Introduction: The proportion of old inpatients in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) is increasing.
Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the relationship of hemodynamic and oxygenation status with the risk of pressure ulcers following open heart surgery in old patients.
Patients and Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted over three months in 2016 on 48 patients selected using convenience sampling. The data collection tools included a three-part demographic information checklist, hemodynamic clinical data collection forms, oxygenation clinical data collection forms and the Braden scale. The data collected were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive tests, the independent t test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
Results: Of the 48 patients, 28 (58.3%) were male and 20 (41.7%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 68.16 ± 5.53 years and their mean length of stay was 2.95 ± 0.96 days. All the pressure ulcers were stage 1 and 2. The incidence of pressure ulcers in these patients was found to have statistically significant relationships with the mean heart rate on the second day (P = 0.01), the mean arterial carbon dioxide level on the fourth day (P = 0.02), diabetes (P = 0.01) and smoking (P = 0.001), while it lacked statistically significant relationships with the other hemodynamic and oxygenation variables studied.
Conclusion: Old patients undergoing open heart surgeries are at a high risk of the incidence and development of pressure ulcers. Thus, factors such as diabetes, smoking, heart rate and arterial carbon dioxide level affect the incidence of these ulcers.