Purpose: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of prophylactic foam dressings applied to the sacrococcygeal area in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers among patients admitted to a trauma intensive care unit (TICU). Methods: This study utilized a retrospective medical record review of 118 patients with an Injury Severity Score≥15 who were admitted to the TICU from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2024. Patients were analyzed based on the application of prophylactic foam dressings to determine the association with pressure ulcer development.
Results: The incidence of pressure ulcers was significantly (p=.039) lower in the group receiving prophylactic foam dressings (30.5%, n=18) compared to the non-use group (49.1%, n=29). Additionally, several clinical factors were significantly associated with a higher incidence of pressure ulcers, including mechanical ventilation (p=.003), sedation (p=.032), vasopressor therapy (p=.012), bed rest (p=.033), and hemodialysis (p=.035). After adjusting for potential confounders, the application of prophylactic foam dressing tended to reduce the risk of pressure injury by approximately 45%; however, this finding was not statistically significant (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.24~1.30, p=.175). Meanwhile, bed rest was identified as the most significant risk factor, increasing the risk of pressure injury development by approximately 2.95 times.
Conclusion: Prophylactic foam dressing application in the sacrococcygeal region may contribute to reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers in patients with severe trauma. Given the increased risk associated with mechanical ventilation, sedation, and vasopressor use, integrating foam dressings into a comprehensive prevention protocol may be considered, particularly for high-risk TICU patients.