Pressure injuries during surgical positioning: evidence for care

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether surgical positioning is associated with the development of perioperative pressure injuries. Method: This was a quantitative, ex post facto, and prospective study conducted at a hospital center in central Portugal. The study included 100 participants undergoing elective NC surgery between May and September 2022. Data collection involved perioperative assessments, numerical pain scales, Braden scales, and the application of the ELPO scale in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods (immediate, 24h, 48h, and 72h). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The prevalence of participants at high risk of developing pressure injuries was 35.3% (n=24) (p=.001). The prone position was identified as posing the highest risk, with 64% of participants (n=16) (p=.001). The average ELPO score for the study population was 21.15 (SD=3.179), indicating a high risk of injury development. Pressure injuries occurred in 25% of participants immediately postoperatively, 4% at 24 and 48 hours, and 5% at 72 hours. The age group of 70-79 years showed a significant percentage (χ2 (4) =15.104, p=.004) for injury occurrence. Conclusion: Participants who experienced pressure injuries resulting from surgical positioning were predominantly positioned prone and classified as high risk for injury development, suggesting that the ELPO scale is a reliable tool for assessing the risk of pressure injuries due to surgical positioning (PSP).