Considering the causes of pressure ulcers at evacuation centers after an Earthquake

PURPOSE: A Nursing Association sent 938 disaster-support nurses and a total of 3,770 supporters to the afflicted areas of an Earthquake. We analyzed the facts and causes of pressure ulcers at the 26 evacuation centers  where disaster-support nurses were sent. We also considered the management of pressure ulcers in times of disaster.  �

METHODS: We thoroughly investigated the living environment of the evacuation centers, the number of people who required nursing care and the number of pressure ulcers that have occurred. These were investigated by using the activity records of 580 disaster-support nurses who worked at the evacuation centers from March 21 to May 17, 2011. We interviewed the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses at the foundation hospital and gathered information about the number of pressure ulcers occurred. We analyzed the causes of pressure ulcers from the descriptive statistics. Furthermore, we analyzed the care contents for pressure ulcers by extracting contents from the activity record done by 158 disaster-support nurses who worked at a large-scale evacuation center.

SUBJECT Our investigation targeted 11,641 evacuees at 26 evacuation centers where disaster-support nurses were sent.     

RESULTS: The number of people who required nursing care was 133 among 11,641 evacuees on the 17th day after the disaster. Fifteen percent of the people who required nursing care had pressure ulcers. Of all the pressure ulcers, 83.3% occurred at the evacuation centers and had progressed to stages I and II of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel’s classification.   

CONCLUSION: Pressure ulcers at the evacuation centers are caused by external forces and a lack of self-reliance. In the pressure ulcer management of this earthquake disaster, it was useful to gather people who require nursing care at the evacuation centers and prevent disuse syndrome in elderly people.