ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND INCIDENCE OF

PRESSURE ULCER IN ELDERLY PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED AT GERIATRIC

WARD SANGLAH GENERAL HOSPITAL

Shelvy Florence Gousario1, RA Tuty Kuswardhani2

2
Geriatric division, 1Department of Internal Medicine
Udayana University/Sanglah Hospital

Background: Pressure ulcer is a serious and costly problem among hospitalized

elderly patients in both acute and long-term settings. It contributes to increased length
of stay and associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates. Nutrition plays a
fundamental part in wound healing. Malnourished condition has been identified as
independent risk factors for the development of pressure ulcers. The objective of this
study was to find association between nutritional status and incidence of pressure ulcer
among elderly patients.

Method: cross-sectional design using analytic observational was conducted with

purposive sampling. Total subject of this study was one hundred and twenty nine
elderly patients, taken at geriatric ward Sanglah general hospital from January to May
2016. Mini Nutritional Assessment tool (MNA) was used to evaluate the nutritional
status, malnutrition was defined as MNA score <17. Pressure ulcer was defined as
injury to skin and underlying tissue resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin,
developed on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as the heels, ankles, hips
and tailbone.. Statistical analysis used was Fisher comparative test .

Result: One hundred and twenty nine elderly patients age 60 to 95 years old with mean
71.86 + 8.083 were included. The prevalence of malnutrition was 25 (19.4%) and the
incidence of pressure ulcer was 22 (17.1%). We found significant association between
nutritional status and incidence of pressure ulcer (p= 0.000).

Conclusion: there was significant association between nutritional status and incidence
of pressure ulcer among elderly patients at geriatric ward Sanglah general hospital.

Keywords: nutritional status, pressure ulcer, elderly