Search for: [Abstract = "INTRODUCTION. Pressure ulcers are an important medical and social problem. Numerous scientific research projects focus on epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. However, many aspects still remain obscure, including the effect of some selected factors on formation and development of pressure ulcers, as well as safe and cost\-effective methods of their prevention and treatment. Pressure ulcers are a source of pain. They reduce patients' quality of life, extend duration of hospitalization and account for increased costs of care. Early identification of high\-risk patients and appropriate preventive measures are among priorities. And presence of pressure ulcers calls for a comprehensive and modern treatment. Both prophylaxis and treatment of pressure ulcers require team work, in which a significant role is played by nurses. OBJECTIVE. Assessment of risk and incidence of pressure ulcers in patients hospitalized in medical treatment wards was the principal purpose of the study. MATERIALS AND METHODS. 4146 inpatients of two medical treatment wards of one of hospitals in Krakow \(Poland\) treated between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2014 were initially recruited. Following the preliminary analysis, 802 patients dropped out, as they were repeatedly hospitalized in the study period. Finally, 3344 patients were qualified. All of them were hospitalized for the first time in the study period. The following methods were used\: diagnostic survey, analysis of medical files and observation. Study data were collected using the survey technique and the following tools\: the risk scale for pressure ulcer development by Norton, the Abbreviated Mental Test Score \(AMTS\), the Activity of Daily Living scale \(ADL\), the Mini Nutritional Assessment scale \(MNA\), Torrance's scale, the digital measurement of chronic wound based on color, and the proprietary survey questionnaire. The statistical analysis was carried out using the STATISTICA 13.3 PL suite \(StatSoft, PL\). Quantitative variables were presented as arithmetic mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, median. Qualitative variables were presented as abundances and frequencies. Distribution of quantitative variables was assessed using the Shapiro\-Wilk and the Kolmogorov\-Smirnov tests, and equality of group variances were assessed using the Levene’s test. The analysis of significance differences was based on the U Mann\-Whitney and the Chi\-squared \(χ2\) tests. Kruskal\-Wallis test was also applied, as well as appropriate post\-hoc tests, the Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and the Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient. For all analyses, effects with probability value p below the accepted significance level of α = 0.05 \(p < 0.05\) were considered significant."]

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