Authors

  1. Spear, Marcia DNP, ACNP-BC, CWS, CPSN, CANS
  2. Thurman, Kristen PT, CWS

Abstract

Pressure injury (ulcer) is an area of localized damage including the skin and underlying tissues over bony prominences such as the sacrum or heel (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel [NPUAP], European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance, 2014). Pressure ulcers are not a new phenomenon, as their occurrence was noted as far back as 2050 to 100 B.C. (Elliott, McKinley, & Fox, 2008). Pressure injury reduces quality of life and imposes a significant financial burden on the individual, family, and health care system (Franks, Winterberg, & Moffat, 2002; Gorecki, Nixon, Madill, Firth, & Brown, 2012; Rodrigues, Ferreira, & Ferre-Grau, 2016). Reports show that 2.5 million pressure injuries are treated annually in the United States in acute care facilities alone (Reddy, Sudeep, & Rochon, 2006). The U.S. expenditures for treating pressure injuries have been estimated at $11 billion per year (Sen et al., 2009). There is evidence to support that certain individuals as well as the presence of certain conditions predispose an individual to developing a pressure injury (Elliott et al., 2008; Fogerty et al., 2008; National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel [NPUAP], European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance, 2014; Reddy et al., 2006). Identifying those individuals at risk becomes a first-line defense.