Predictors of one year pressure injury outcomes in hospitalized spinal cord injured veterans with one stage 3 or 4 pressure injury

This study aimed to identify factors that predict whether a pressure injury (PrI) will heal within one year after discharge for veterans with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The study focused on patients who were hospitalized with a Stage 3 or 4 PrI but did not undergo flap surgery. The study reviewed medical records from a VA Health Care System SCI unit, analyzing data from veterans with SCI who were admitted with a Stage 3 or 4 pelvic PrI. Researchers looked at various variables, including demographics, SCI history, lab results, comorbidities, and treatment information, to determine which factors were associated with PrI healing outcomes. The results showed that using pressure mapping during hospitalization, having a greater PrI depth, and using alginate dressings were predictors of non-healed PrIs. Conversely, the use of animal-based tissue and hydrocolloid dressings were predictors of healed PrIs.

• 1
  Three significant predictors of non-healed PrI outcomes included receiving pressure mapping during the hospitalization, greater PrI depth, and the usage of alginate dressings.
• 2
  Two significant predictors of a healed PrI outcome included animal-based tissue and hydrocolloid dressings.
• 3
  Patients with SCI at the cervical level were more likely to have a healed wound at one year of discharge, whereas patients with NLI between T7 and T12 were more likely to have an unhealed wound.