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August 14, 2013

Pressure Prevention

 

Prevention of pressure ulcers is certainly in the best interest of the patient, but is it cost effective? In Denmark, the prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospitalized patients is as high as 40%.   A group looked at the implementation of a Pressure Ulcer Bundle (PUB) in one representative hospital. For this bundle, patients were risk assessed on admission, and positive screens indicated the need for daily reassessments, a nutrition assessment and optimized ambulation and positioning. The group found that although the bundle compliance was labor intensive, it was not particularly expensive. They found a reduction of pressure ulcers by 9%, and a savings of >16 million Euros annually. MUSC pressure ulcer reduction resources and pressure ulcer rates can be found here.

 

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