Benefits of the scale of Norton application in grave patients. Intensive Care Unit. Military Teaching Hospital Dr. Mario Muñoz Monroy. Matanzas. February -December 2009

Abstract

Ulcer by pressure is a health problem. Its incidence increases in the intensive care units. The scale of Norton evaluates risk facts increasing the vulnerability to develop ulcers by pressure, allowing later to establish an intensive care plan. With this work we pretend to show the benefit of the scale of Norton's application in grave patients. With that objective we carried out a prospective, interventional study. The universe was formed by 153 in-patients of the intensive care unit, in the period from February 1st to December 1st 2009. The sample were 33 patients selected in a simple randomized way, among the patients treated with mechanic artificial ventilation. The scale of Norton allowed identifying the risk level of the patients under intensive care to develop ulcer by pressure, concluding that there was a predominance of high risk with 85 % among these patients. Ulcer by pressure appeared on the seventh day in 3 patients (9 %). Indeed, the scale of Norton helped to predict the susceptibility of the patients to develop an ulcer, because it determined the risk level they were in, précising the moment for an adequate intervention of the nursery staff.