The incidence of pressure sores was studied in the well-defined population of the County of Århus (517 000). Visits were paid to 98% of all hospital departments and special nursing homes, while pressure sores in patients admitted to general nursing homes and homes for the aged or living in their own homes were recorded by means of questionnaires sent to all general practitioners (98% responded) and visiting nurses. The investigation revealed an incidence of 43.1 patients with sores and 61.5 sores per 100 000. Of the patients concerned, 59% were in hospital, and the frequency of pressure sores among hospitalised patients was 3.0%. The frequency increased steeply with advancing age. The underlying diseases were particularly those associated with old age, renal insufficiency, cancer, fractures, especially of the femoral neck, traumatic and non-traumatic paraplegia and disseminated sclerosis. Of the sores, 96% were located caudal to the level of the umbilicus, including 67% around the hips and buttocks. In about one-half of the patients, the sores had developed during hospital stays.
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Petersen et al. (1971) studied this question.