Lesão por pressão relacionada a oxímetro de pulso em pacientes críticos

Abstract

Pressure injury (PI) is defined by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) as localized damage to the skin and/or underlying soft tissue, caused by intense and/or prolonged pressure in combination with shear. They may be related to the use of devices designed and applied for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, being called Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries (MDRPIs). Although the definition of MDRPI is still new and little explored in the literature, its impact on individuals’ morbidity and mortality and quality of care is present in everyday life, especially in the context of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Method: This is a prospective cohort, a cutout of a larger study, conducted in the adult ICU of a large hospital in Campo Grande-MS. Trained and calibrated researchers daily inspected the skin under and around the pulse oximeter for PI. Participants’ medical records were collected to identify their clinical characteristics relevant to the study. Patients aged 18 or older using the pulse oximeter, inserted for at least 24 hours, were included. Patients with skin abnormalities, hospitalization less than 48 hours, or who requested to be removed from the study were excluded. Results: The sample of 88 participants presented an incidence of 4.55% of PI related to the oximeter. MDRPIs were found in stage 1 (50%), stage 2 (25%), and unstageable (25%), following the NPUAP staging criteria. No statistical associations were found between patient characteristics and PI incidence. Conclusion: The pulse oximeter is a widely used device in the context of intensive therapy, and the skin under and around it should be evaluated and included in the team’s care planning regarding its potential to cause MDRPIs. Future studies should be conducted to evaluate the risk factors of this injury