Prevalência e caracterização de feridas crônicas na Atenção Primária à Saúde de um município da região central de Minas Gerais.

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic wounds are a public health problem, as data on incidence and prevalence are limited and the impact of these injuries is still poorly studied and known. It is known that chronic wounds negatively impact people's quality of life and generate care costs. Therefore, it is essential to develop studies to expand knowledge about the prevalence of these conditions and support the construction of more efficient management and care strategies. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of chronic wounds in people enrolled in Primary Health Care in a municipal health district in the central region of the state of Minas Gerais. Method: Quantitative, observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. It was carried out in the Primary Health Care of a municipal health district in MG. Data collection took place through interviews with health teams and the application of a questionnaire to assess people with wounds. Data were organized and categorized using the SPSS program, analyzed using descriptive statistics, presented in tables and graphs. Results: The identified prevalence was 0.245% of users, the majority being male (59.09%), with a mean age of 63 years, low level of education (4.6 years of study) and monthly income of one minimum wage. Systemic Arterial Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus were the most prevalent chronic diseases. Leg ulcers were the most prevalent (52.27%) and pressure injuries, secondary to immobility syndrome, emerged as the second largest group (20.5%). The medical professional was the main prescriber of topical products for the treatment of wounds, the most used products were sunflower oil and topical antibiotics. Chronic wounds may require care in emergency units and cause hospital admissions, increasing care costs. Conclusion: The prevalence estimate was higher than the rates found in other national studies; however, the sociodemographic profile and clinical characterization of the sample is similar to the findings of other studies. The need emerged from the data for professional nurses to appropriate knowledge and practices of wound care in order to be more active in assisting people affected by the condition. To this end, permanent training of professionals and access to the necessary material resources is essential. It is suggested the incorporation of current and effective technologies for the treatment of wounds that are difficult to heal, as well as the creation of care flows, protocols and improvement of assistance documentation.