The Relationship Between Percent Deficit Ideal Body Weight and the Prevalence, Severity, and Healing of Pressure Ulcers

This retrospective study determined whether percent deficit ideal body weight (IBW) was a risk factor for the prevalence, severity or healing of pressure ulcers. This study hypothesized that nursing home residents below their IBW with pressure ulcers have more severe, higher prevalence, and a slower healing rate than resident who are above their IBW. Medical record data were analyzed for all subjects that met the selection criteria from April, 1997 to April, 1998. Fifty-eight subjects aged 39 to 104 years were assigned to one of two groups (Group 1(n=28) were less than 99% of IBW; Group 2 (n=30) were greater than or equal to 99% of IBW). There was no correlation between percent deficit IBW and pressure ulcer prevalence (rs =-0.017) or between percent deficit IBW and healing rate (rs =-0.010). There was no association between percent deficit IBW and severity (x2 (N=58)=3.35;p=06). Black subjects (n=20) had a higher prevalence of pressure ulcers than white subjects ((n=38), x2 (N=58) = 4.634; ,Q =.002). Bedridden subjects (n=34) had slower healing rates than non-bedridden subjects (n=24),(t(58) = 2.38, p=.02)