The Challenge:

Pressure ulcers affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, complicate the delivery of patient care, and contribute to patient deaths and disability. In fact, nearly 60,000 U.S. hospital patients are estimated to die from complications due to hospital-acquired pressure ulcers each year. It is estimated that 2.5 million patients are treated each year in U.S. acute-care facilities for pressure ulcers. Incident rates vary by clinical settings, ranging from 0.4 percent to 38 percent in acute care and 2.2 percent to 23.9 percent in long-term care.

The Impact:

The total cost of treatment of pressure ulcers in the United States is estimated at $11 billion per year. According to CMS, 257,412 preventable pressure ulcers reported as secondary diagnoses in hospitals in 2007. The average cost of each of those pressure ulcers is estimated to be $43,180 per hospital stay.

The Prevention Above All Intervention:

The Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program is a strategic product bundle to assist in reducing or preventing pressure ulcers and incontinence-associated skin conditions. Products include Remedy^™ Advanced Skin Care Products, Ultrasorbs® AP Dry Pads, Restore®/Remedy^™ Adult Brief, and Supra DPS alternating pressure and low-air-loss mattresses.
This program also packages together education and training tools so a healthcare team can implement an effective pressure ulcer prevention program and immediately begin reducing the incidence of healthcare-acquired pressure ulcers. Included are workbooks, patient and family education brochures and a rewards program.