AB205. Wound prevalence clinical audit

Background: There are no published Irish prevalence studies which include acute and community patients with wounds. This, combined with the lack of a wound registry in Ireland means it is difficult to accurately determine wound prevalence rates.

Methods: Data was collected using chart review on each patient with a wound in the Mid-West region on a single occasion during the study period. A specifically designed data collection tool was used to gather anonymised demographic data (age, gender), wound aetiology, classification, duration, co-morbidities and wound dressing frequency from the patient’s wound chart. All patients with a wound were eligible for inclusion in the audit.

Results: A total of 791 data collection tools were returned identifying a total of 1,164 wounds, with a mean of 1.4 wounds per patient. Mean age was 69 years. 42% of patients had a previous history of a wound. 78.5% of patients had co-morbid conditions. 82% of patients were in a non-acute setting with 18% in the acute hospital setting.

Conclusions: This audit demonstrated a 0.3% prevalence rate of wounds in the Mid-West region with a ratio of 4.5 (non-acute): 1 (acute setting). The mean age of 69 years confirms an association between older age and presence of a wound. In conclusion, this wound prevalence clinical audit will contribute to service planning for wound management services in the Mid-West region.

Keywords: Wound; prevalence; leg ulcer; pressure ulcer; surgical wound