Pressure Injuries – A Preventable Cause of Patient Harm

• Published in: Journal of Health Care Compliance Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 5 - 54
• Main Authors: Stofferahn, Matthew, Novak, Leasa, Grandstaff, Shana
• Format: Trade Publication Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frederick Aspen Publishers, Inc 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Beneficiaries; Documentation; Health care policy; Hematoma; Hospitals; Injury prevention; Medical records; Medicare; Nursing care; Patients; Pressure ulcers; Quality improvement; Quality standards; Rehabilitation; Skin
• ISSN: 1520-8303

Pressure Injuries_ The development of pressure injuries after hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF) admission is a common reason that Medicare beneficiaries contact Livanta to report a potential quality of care concern. [...]pressure injuries remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and occur in all inpatient care settings, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and long-term care. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), pressure ulcers affect approximately 2.5 million patients annually, and individual treatment costs range from $20,900 to $151,700 per pressure ulcer.2 When pressure ulcers develop, staging systems help clinicians identify the degree of severity of the lesion. Nursing standards include conducting a thorough assessment of a patient's pressure ulcer risk, implementing patient-centered prevention strategies, and ongoing monitoring with routine skin inspections. Since pressure ulcers can usually be prevented through diligent nursing care, the development or worsening of a pressure ulcer can be a sign of substandard care or patient neglect.