Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Braden Risk Categories of Pressure Injuries Among Patients Admitted to a Palliative Care Unit: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

Background/Objectives: Pressure injuries remain a significant clinical problem in palliative care. Understanding their prevalence and associated clinical characteristics can support early recognition and prevention strategies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pressure injuries among patients admitted to a palliative care unit and to examine the clinical and care-related characteristics associated with Braden risk categories and pressure injury status at admission or during hospitalization. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted between 1 April 2018, and 30 November 2023. Among 1942 patients hospitalized in the Palliative Care Unit of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital, the medical records of 279 patients with documented pressure injuries were retrospectively reviewed. The collected data included patients’ demographic characteristics, clinical and care-related characteristics, pressure injury status, and Braden Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Scale scores. Bivariate analyses and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: The prevalence of pressure injuries was 14.36%. Of the patients with pressure injuries, 217 (77.8%) had pressure injuries at the time of admission to the unit, while 62 (22.2%) developed pressure injuries during hospitalization. Age, use of medical devices and invasive procedures, nutritional status, urinary and fecal elimination status, comorbidity status, mobility status, level of consciousness, and primary diagnosis were significantly associated with Braden risk categories. Primary diagnosis, caregiver relationship, level of consciousness, and mobility status were significantly associated with whether pressure injuries were present at admission or developed during hospitalization. In multivariable analysis, longer length of stay and care by a second-degree relative were associated with pressure injury development during hospitalization, whereas acute trauma diagnosis and immobility were associated with pressure injuries already being present at admission. Conclusions: The findings indicate that several clinical and care-related characteristics were associated with higher Braden risk categories and with whether pressure injuries were present at admission or developed during hospitalization. Because the study included only patients with documented pressure injuries, the results should be interpreted as associations within this patient group rather than as evidence of independent risk factors for pressure injury development.