RESUMO
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of unavoidable pressure injuries (UPIs) in residents of nursing homes (NHs) and characteristics associated with UPIs. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Residents 65 years or older residing in any of 105 NHs in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy between January and December 2013. METHODS: Database search comprised of a multidimensional assessment of NH residents. RESULTS: Data from 7950 residents were reviewed, 925 (11.6%) of whom had 1 or more documented pressure injuries (PIs). Among these, 221 (23.9%) residents met criteria for avoidable PIs (APIs) and 704 (76.1%) for UPIs. Residents with UPIs were more frequently hemodynamically unstable, terminally ill, and had medical devices (all Ps < .001) than residents with APIs. Moreover, residents with UPIs showed higher functional, cognitive, and mood impairments compared to residents with APIs (all Ps < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a high prevalence of UPIs compared to APIs among residents residing in NHs in one region of Italy. Additional research is needed to establish the prevalence of UPIs among NH residents country-wide, as well as determine specific criteria that identify UPIs in long-term care settings and increase consistency in prevalence and incidence measurement models.