Pressure Injuries

A focus on pressure injuries preventing the most frequent and costliest hospital-acquired condition

  • In a 2017 report from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), all hospital acquired conditions (HACs) declined except pressure injuries (PI), which rose 6%.
  • Annually, in the United States, there are an estimated 25 million cases of PI, accounting for 60,000 deaths at a cost of $ 26.8 billion.
  • Medical conditions that increase the risk of developing pressure injuries and slow injury healing relate to patient mobility (e.g. spinal cord injury), wound environment (e.g. nutrition, incontinence), and comorbid conditions (e.g. diabetes, vascular disease.)
  • Consequences of delayed healing include prolonged hospitalization, failure to return to full functioning, requirement of long-term care, and death.
  • The staggering loss of life, productivity, and cost of care warrant a systematic approach to mitigation of risk and advances in science and practice to prevent and/or treat PIs.  

Pressure Injury Survey Results [Internal Access]  Therapeutic, Bariatric and Safety Support Surface Algorithm

Last Updated: 11/30/2021