Pressure Ulcers

Pressure ulcers have been documented as a significant problem across all ages and across all health care settings, as well as a significant source of pain and human suffering. 

Current literature identifies multiple factors that put individuals at risk of developing pressure ulcers. Some of these factors include immobility, incontinence, inadequate dietary intake, chronic illness, altered level of consciousness, altered sensory perception, and a history of having pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcers have also been associated with an extended length of stay and mortality. It is estimated that 60,000 patients die each year as a result of pressure ulcer complications.1 The estimated cost of managing a single full-thickness pressure ulcer is as high as $70,000, and the total cost for treatment of pressure ulcers in the U.S. is estimated at $11 billion per year. 2

Although pressure ulcers are preventable in most cases, the prevalence of pressure ulcers in health care facilities is increasing. Pressure ulcer incidence rates vary considerably by clinical setting—ranging from 0.4 percent to 38 percent in acute care, from 2.2 percent to 23.9 percent in long-term care, and from 0 percent to 17 percent in home care.3  Studies conducted in acute and long-term care settings demonstrate that adherence to pressure ulcer risk reduction strategies can significantly lower the prevalence of pressure ulcers.4

REFERENCES

1 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2008 Rates; Final Rule. Federal Register. 2007;72(162):47130-48175.

2 Reddy M, Gill SS, Rochon PA. Preventing pressure ulcers: A systematic review. JAMA. 2006; 296: 974-984.

3 Lyder, CH. Pressure ulcer prevention and management, JAMA, 2003: 289 (2) 223-226.

4 Bergstrom N, Braden B, Kemp M, Champagne, M, Ruby E. 1998. Predicting pressure ulcer risk: a multi-site study of the predictive validity of the Braden Scale. Nurs Res 47: 261-269.

Pressure Ulcer Toolkit

Pressure Ulcer Web Links

Meet at the Bedside