Prevalence of Chronic Skin Wounds and Their Risk Factors in an Inpatient Hospital Setting in Northern China

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To gain insight into the magnitude of the problem of chronic skin wounds in a hospital in northern China. METHODS Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of electronic health records of cases and controls, including 1,977 patients with chronic skin wounds admitted to the hospital's medical wards over 5 years. Multiple logistic regression was used to establish factors correlating with the development of chronic wounds. RESULTS The total prevalence of chronic wounds increased over the study period, and the occurrence of these wounds was significantly correlated with male sex, married status, unemployment, autumn season, and older age. The primary causes of chronic wounds were infection and diabetic ulcer. There were proportionally more wounds secondary to disease than traumatic wounds. The mean duration of hospitalization for patients with wounds was 13 days, and patients were readmitted an average of 10 times. CONCLUSIONS With the rapidly aging population in China, disability and chronic wounds are significant problems. Reducing hospital lengths of stay and readmissions remains a challenge. Palliative care may be appropriate for the management of some chronic wounds to prevent and treat further complications. Establishing funding guarantees and the reasonable allocation of health resources is required.