Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSPressure ulcer risk higher among schizophrenia patients
People with schizophrenia are more likely to suffer from hospital-related injuries during admission than other patients, a large scale US study has found.
Researchers studied discharge records from 269,387 admissions involving schizophrenia and more than 37 million admissions that did not between 2002 and 2007.
They found schizophrenia patients were at increased risk of injuries including pressure ulcers, infections and blood poisoning.
For example there were 36.6 incidences of bedsores per 1,000 admissions for those with schizophrenia compared to 27.7 for those without.
The research was published in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.
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Readers' comments (3)
Anonymous | 29-Jul-2010 3:47 pm
Yet more mental health content that gains scarcely gets 100 words coverage. Very very shoddy journalism. How about a link to the paper at the very least?
How many of those diagnoses of schizophrenia were in the over 65 population? It was only this week that a Scottish report suggested (for the umpteenth time by the way) that many patients with dementia (oooh a group with significant numbers of elderly patients who are at high risk from pressure sores!) are being given antipsychotics and the like to manage behaviour etc. Is it possible that some arse covering doctor somewhere had schizophrenia down as a differential diagnosis and this has skewed the figures quite apart from the fact that antipsychotics (well the older and cheaper ones anyway) equal sedation which means less activity and other high risk deficits that could contribute to pressure sores....
Shoddy journalism, you'd have done mental health a favour by just not publishing this at all.
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Gavin Wright | 29-Jul-2010 5:43 pm
Could it be something to do with a shortage of moving and handling coordinators with a mental health background?
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Anonymous | 2-Aug-2010 5:54 pm
A US study...I'm certainly no expert on US treatment methods, but from the little I do know their "treatment" usually involves sedations, rather than calming and engagement (as in UK). THis surely impacts greatly on the possibility of pressure ulcer risk.
I whole heartedly agree with Anon (29-Jul 3:47pm) the nursing times cover of MH stories are getting worse, less words than any other articles and not having link to critically analyse thre research! NOT GOOD!
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