Why Assess Pressure Ulcer Risk?
The importance of avoiding pressure ulcers.Pressure ulcers are a significant problem in hospitalized older adults. In the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, prevalence ranges from 14% to 25% and incidence from 7% to 9%.3-5 One study found a slightly lower incidence (6.2%) when older adults were assessed for risk early in the hospital stay.6Research shows that pressure ulcers and their treatment negatively affect every dimension of a patient’s life: emotional, mental, physical, and social.7 Patients in one study reported experiencing endless pain, and those in another said that nursing staff didn’t acknowledge or treat their discomfort and pain (although they received many pressure ulcer related interventions).7,8 Even usual nursing care, such as turning, has been found to be painful for patients with pressure ulcers.8,9Pressure ulcers are also expensive to treat. Beckrich and Aronovich estimated in 1999 that the annual cost of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers was $2.2 billion
