ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the prevalence of friction injuries and associated factors in the elderly admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Method: a cross-sectional analytical study, developed in an Intensive Care Unit of a Teaching hospital, with a sample of 101 elderly. Data collection was conducted from November 2017 to May 2018, through interviews, consulting medical records and physical examination. For analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. Strength of associations between variables measured by odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance level was set at 5% for all analyzes. Results: the sample studied had a mean age of 71.39 years, mostly male, married and without schooling, with more than one comorbidity, dependent, with dry and scaly skin and bruising on the extremities. The prevalence of friction injury was 28.7%, with an average of 1.93 injuries per elderly. There was a statistically significant association between the occurrence of friction injury with age, comorbidities, dry and scaly skin. Conclusion: the prevalence of friction injury was high and associated with age, comorbidities, dry and scaly skin, and mean duration of corticosteroid use.