AUTHOR=Lu Weiying , Bloom Ona , Rathgeber Melissa , Maltser Susan TITLE=Pressure injury prevalence and characteristics in patients with COVID-19 admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation unit JOURNAL=Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2023 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/rehabilitation-sciences/articles/10.3389/fresc.2023.1058982 DOI=10.3389/fresc.2023.1058982 ISSN=2673-6861 ABSTRACT=Objective

To investigate the incidence and severity of pressure injuries among COVID-19 patients who required acute hospitalization and subsequent acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR).

Design

Data was collected retrospectively from medical charts of COVID-19 patients who were admitted to AIR during April 2020–April 2021.

Setting

Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation at a single hospital in the greater New York metropolitan area.

Participants

Subjects included COVID-19 patients (N = 120) who required acute hospitalization and subsequent acute inpatient rehabilitation, of whom 39 (32.5%) had pressure injuries.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main outcome measure(s)

The incidence, location, and severity of pressure injuries in COVID-19 patients, as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the acute hospitalization.

Results

Among patients who developed pressure injuries, more patients received mechanical ventilation (59% vs. 33%, P < 0.05) and tracheostomy (67% vs. 17%, P < 0.00001). The lengths of stay were longer in both the intensive care unit (ICU) (34 vs. 15 days, P < 0.005), and in acute inpatient rehabilitation (22 vs. 17 days P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Pressure injuries were more common in COVID-19 patients who had longer lengths of stay, received mechanical ventilation or tracheostomy, during acute hospitalization. This supports the use of protocols to prioritize pressure offloading in this patient population.