[PATIENTS WITH PRESSURE ULCERS IN THE UNIFIED EMERGENCY ADMISSION DEPARTMENT – OUR REALITY].

Patients with pressure ulcers usually arrive to the Unified Emergency Admission Department (UEAD) due to other illnesses, from the family or social care institutions. After triage and treatment at UEAD, the patient is hospitalized or discharged from the hospital. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence, reasons for presenting to UEAD and further procedure that patients with pressure ulcers admitted to UEAD were subjected to. Data in the Hospital Information System on patients with pressure ulcers admitted to UEAD, Dr Tomislav Bardek General Hospital in Koprivnica in the period between January 1, 2016 and May 31, 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The analysis included demographic data, location from which the patient arrived, triage category and further procedure the patient was subjected to. Data were analyzed by using the methods of descriptive statistics. A total of 18 patients with pressure ulcers were admitted to UEAD, 13 (72%) women and five (28%) men. Five (28%) patients were referred from social care institutions and 13 (72%) from the family. Triage category 2 included 7 (38.8%) patients, four (22%) patients were included in triage categories 3 and 4, while three (16%) patients were included in triage category 5. Ten (55.5%) patients were hospitalized, while eight (44.4%) patients were discharged from the hospital. Only one patient was admitted primarily due to pressure ulcer complications. Contrary to our assumptions, a lower number of patients were referred from social care institutions, i.e. more patients were referred from the family. These data resulted from a long lasting active training of nurses and implementation of the nurse’s discharge letter.