Pressure ulcers prevalence indicators and patient falls incidence in teaching hospitals in the city of São Paulo*

Abstract

Objective To measure the prevalence of pressure ulcers and the incidence of patient falls in three teaching hospitals in the city of São Paulo. Method Quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study. Data were collected from August 2012 to July 2013 using a form. They were analyzed according to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The annual mean of pressure ulcers overall prevalence (PU) was of 10.1%, and the incidence of patient falls was of 13.8%. Conclusion Patients of Hospital 3 were the most vulnerable to pressure ulcers and falls, probably due to the aggressiveness of the disease and the complex treatments these patients were undergoing. Implementation of such indicators has enabled benchmarking and review of both assistance and management institutional protocols.