Trends in inpatient burden from pressure injuries in the United States: Cross-sectional study National Inpatient Sample 2009-2019.

Pressure injuries are a significant comorbidity and lead to increased overall healthcare costs. Several European and global studies have assessed the burden of pressure injuries; however, no comprehensive analysis has been completed in the United States. In this study, we investigated the trends in the burden of pressure injuries among hospitalised adults in the United States from 2009 to 2019, stratified by sociodemographic subgroups. The length of admission, total cost of hospitalisation, and sociodemographic data was extracted from the National Inpatient Sample provided by the Healthcare Cost and Utilisation Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Overall, the annual prevalence of pressure injuries and annual mean hospitalisation cost increased ($69,499.29 to $102,939.14), while annual mean length of stay decreased (11.14-9.90 days). Among all races, minority groups had higher average cost and length of hospitalisation. Our findings suggest that while the length of hospitalisation is decreasing, hospital costs and prevalence are rising. In addition, differing trends among racial groups exist with decreasing prevalence in White patients. Further studies and targeted interventions are needed to address these differences, as well as discrepancies in racial groups.

Improving the Care and Cost of Treating Community-Acquired Stage 3 and 4 Decubitus Ulcers.

INTRODUCTION: The healthcare costs for treatment of community-acquired decubitus ulcers accounts for $11.6 billion in the United States annually. Patients with stage 3 and 4 decubitus ulcers are often treated inefficiently prior to reconstructive surgery while physicians attempt to optimize their condition (debridement, fecal/urinary diversion, physical therapy, nutrition, and obtaining durable medical goods). We hypothesized that hospital costs for inpatient optimization of decubitus ulcers would significantly differ from outpatient optimization costs, resulting in significant financial losses to the hospital and that transitioning optimization to an outpatient setting could reduce both total and hospital expenditures. In this study, we analyzed and compared the financial expenditures of optimizing patients with decubitus ulcers in an inpatient setting versus maximizing outpatient utilization of resources prior to reconstruction. METHODS: Encounters of patients with stage 3 or 4 decubitus ulcers over a 5-year period were investigated. These encounters were divided into two groups: Group 1 included patients who were optimized totally inpatient prior to reconstructive surgery; group 2 included patients who were mostly optimized in an outpatient setting and this encounter was a planned admission for their reconstructive surgery. Demographics, comorbidities, paralysis status, and insurance carriers were collected for all patients. Financial charges and reimbursements were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Forty-five encounters met criteria for inclusion. Group 1's average hospital charges were $500,917, while group 2's charges were $134,419. The cost of outpatient therapeutic items for patient optimization prior to wound closure was estimated to be $10,202 monthly. When including an additional debridement admission for group 2 patients (average of $108,031), the maximal charges for total care was $252,652, and hospital reimbursements were similar between group 1 and group 2 ($65,401 vs $50,860 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The data derived from this investigation strongly suggests that optimizing patients in an outpatient setting prior to decubitus wound closure versus managing the patients totally on an inpatient basis will significantly reduce hospital charges, and hence costs, while minimally affecting reimbursements to the hospital.

Best Solutions for Perineal and Pressure Sore Reconstruction.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand variations of the myocutaneous rectus abdominis muscle flap as it is used for perineal reconstruction and discuss common and alternative options for perineal defect reconstruction. 2. Review primary options and alternatives to pressure sore reconstruction if the primary option is not available and recognize when pressure sore reconstruction is not feasible. 3. Highlight pertinent anatomy and techniques for the flaps described. SUMMARY: Perineal reconstruction following tumor resection is often complicated by irradiated tissue and multiple comorbidities, making reconstruction challenging. Management of these conditions can have complication rates as high as 66 percent, which further compounds the costs and implications of managing these wounds. These complication rates can be significantly decreased using flap closure rather than primary closure. Pressure ulcers also occur in patients with poor overall health, multiple comorbidities, and often numerous prior failed reconstruction attempts. Comprehensive management of pressure sores is a significant burden to the health care system, at a cost of $9.1 to $11.6 billion per year. There exists an extensive body of literature describing the pathophysiology and management strategies for these problems. The focus of this article is to discuss best solutions for perineal and pressure ulcer reconstruction, and to explore alternative options for reconstruction.

Using Pressure Mapping to Optimize Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injury Prevention Strategies in the Burn Intensive Care Unit.

Although prior studies have demonstrated the utility of real-time pressure mapping devices in preventing pressure ulcers, there has been little investigation of their efficacy in burn intensive care unit (BICU) patients, who are at especially high risk for these hospital-acquired injuries. This study retrospectively reviewed clinical records of BICU patients to investigate the utility of pressure mapping data in determining the incidence, predictors, and associated costs of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs). Of 122 patients, 57 (47%) were studied prior to implementation of pressure mapping and 65 (53%) were studied after implementation. The HAPI rate was 18% prior to implementation of pressure monitoring, which declined to 8% postimplementation (chi square: P = .10). HAPIs were less likely to be stage 3 or worse in the postimplementation cohort (P < .0001). On multivariable-adjusted regression accounting for known predictors of HAPIs in burn patients, having had at least 12 hours of sustained pressure loading in one area significantly increased odds of developing a pressure injury in that area (odds ratio 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.5, P = .04). Patients who developed HAPIs were significantly more likely to have had unsuccessful repositioning efforts in comparison to those who did not (P = .02). Finally, implementation of pressure mapping resulted in significant cost savings-$6750 (standard deviation: $1008) for HAPI-related care prior to implementation, vs $3800 (standard deviation: $923) after implementation, P = .008. In conclusion, the use of real-time pressure mapping decreased the morbidity and costs associated with HAPIs in BICU patients.

Human Wound and Its Burden: Updated 2020 Compendium of Estimates.

Significance: Chronic wounds impact the quality of life (QoL) of nearly 2.5% of the total population in the United States and the management of wounds has a significant economic impact on health care. Given the aging population, the continued threat of diabetes and obesity worldwide, and the persistent problem of infection, it is expected that chronic wounds will continue to be a substantial clinical, social, and economic challenge. In 2020, the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic dramatically disrupted health care worldwide, including wound care. A chronic nonhealing wound (CNHW) is typically correlated with comorbidities such as diabetes, vascular deficits, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. These risk factors make persons with CNHW at high risk for severe, sometimes lethal outcomes if infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (pathogen causing COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted several aspects of the wound care continuum, including compliance with wound care visits, prompting alternative approaches (use of telemedicine and creation of videos to help with wound dressing changes among others), and encouraging a do-it-yourself wound dressing protocol and use of homemade remedies/substitutions. Recent Advances: There is a developing interest in understanding how the social determinants of health impact the QoL and outcomes of wound care patients. Furthermore, addressing wound care in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of telemedicine options in the continuum of care. Future Directions: The economic, clinical, and social impact of wounds continues to rise and requires appropriate investment and a structured approach to wound care, education, and related research.

The economic impact of pressure ulcers among patients in intensive care units. A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs) remain high, despite the wealth of knowledge on appropriate prevention strategies currently available. METHODS: The primary objective of this systematic review was to examine the economic impact of pressure ulcers (PU) among adult intensive care patients. A systematic review was undertaken, and the following databases were searched; Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was used to formulate the review. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Consensus on Health Economic Criteria (CHEC)-list. Data were extracted using a pre-designed extraction tool, and a narrative analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Five reported costs associated with the prevention of pressure ulcers and three explored costs of treatment strategies. Four main PU prevention cost items were identified: support surfaces, dressing materials, staff costs, and costs associated with mobilisation. Seven main PU treatment cost items were reported: dressing materials, support surfaces, drugs, surgery, lab tests, imaging, additional stays and nursing care. The overall validities of the studies varied between 37 and 79%, meaning that there is potential for bias within all the included studies. CONCLUSION: There was a significant difference in the cost of PU prevention and treatment strategies between studies. This is problematic as it becomes difficult to accurately evaluate costs from the existing literature, thereby inhibiting the usefulness of the data to inform practice. Given the methodological heterogeneity among studies, future studies in this area are needed and these should use specific methodological guidelines to generate high-quality health economic studies.

Health Care Spending in Patients With Stage 3 and Stage 4 Pressure Injuries and Patients With Diabetic Foot Ulcers Treated Early With Clostridial Collagenase Ointment: A Retrospective Data Review.

INTRODUCTION: Clostridial collagenase ointment (CCO) is the only enzymatic agent indicated for debriding chronic dermal ulcers that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to estimate health care spending among patients with Stage 3 and Stage 4 pressure injuries (PIs) and patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) who experienced early (ie, within 30 days of index diagnosis) versus late (31 to 90 days of index diagnosis) initiation of CCO. METHODS: Patients with PIs and DFUs between January 2007 and March 2017 were identified. One-to-one matched cohorts were used to compare all-cause health care spending and disease-related health care spending between the early initiation and late initiation groups. RESULTS: Compared to the early CCO initiation group, all-cause health care spending for the late CCO initiation group was higher in both patients with PIs and in patients with DFUs within the 12-month follow-up period. Compared to the early CCO initiation group, disease-related health care spending for the late CCO initiation group was higher in both patients with PIs and in patients with DFUs within the 12-month follow-up period. All computations were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Early initiation of CCO provides both all-cause and disease-related health care savings to payers and persons managing patients with PIs or DFUs. Payers, providers, and facilities should consider mechanisms to encourage the early use of CCO to lower costs.

Costos totales asociados a úlceras por presión y caídas en usuarios de los servicios clínicos de cirugía y medicina, en un establecimiento de alta complejidad, primer semestre del 2017 y primer semestre 2018, Chile / Total costs associated with pressure ulcers and falls in users of clinical surgery and medical services, in a highly complex establishment, first half of 2017 and first semester 2018, Chile

INTRODUCCIÓN: las actividades asistenciales relacionadas con la atención de pacientes en servicios clínicos tienen diferentes grados de riesgos para las personas que los reciben, el error en la atención sanitaria se denomina evento adverso y/o centinelas los que, según su gravedad, pueden llegar a causar la muerte de los usuarios. OBJETIVO: determinar los costos totales de úlceras por presión y caídas ocurridos en los usuarios de los servicios clínicos de cirugía y medicina en un establecimiento de alta complejidad durante el primer semestre del 2017 y primer semestre del 2018, en Chile. MÉTODO: estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. La ocurrencia de eventos relacionados a úlceras por presión y caídas son notificados a través del sistema informático Phoenix y son recepcionados por el Departamento de Calidad y Seguridad del Paciente del establecimiento, los datos económicos fueron proporcionados por el departamento de Finanzas. Los datos fueron procesados por programa computacional Excel. RESULTADOS: los costos totales asociado a úlceras por presión y caídas:Servicio de Cirugía, primer semestre del 2017:-Ulceras por presión $44.086.872 (U$ 57.557 dólares)-Caídas $39.630.517 (U$51.739 dólares)-Costo total $ 83.717.389 (U$109.297 dólares)Servicio de Medicina, primer semestre del 2017:-Úlceras por presión $22.654.894 (U$29.803 dólares)-Caídas $32.023.185 (U$41.807 dólares)-Costo total $ 54.678.079 (U$71.385 dólares)Servicio de Cirugía, primer semestre del 2018:-Ulceras por presión $76.979.440 (U$100.500 dólares)-Caídas $18.522.927 (U$24.182 dólares)-Costo total $ 95.502.367 (U$124.683 dólares)Servicio de Medicina, primer semestre del 2018:-Ulceras por presión $14.981.255 (U$19.558 dólares)-Caídas $55.258.625 (U$72.142 dólares)-Costo total $ 70.239.880 (U$91.701 dólares) CONCLUSIÓN: se logró levantar información actual sobre los recursos financieros y clínicos que determinan el impacto económico que generan los eventos adversos en los pacientes atendidos en un centro asistencial público. Es por esto, que el presente estudio, permitió cuantificar y evidenciar el impacto económico de dos eventos ocurridos en los servicios clínicos de un hospital de alta complejidad de Chile.

INTRODUCTION: healthcare activities related to the care of patients in clinical services, have different degrees of risks for the people who receive them, the error in health care is called an adverse event and / or sentinels which, depending on their severity, can arrive to cause the death of users. OBJECTIVE: to determine the total costs of pressure ulcers and falls that occurred in users of clinical services of surgery and medicine in a highly complex establishment during the first half of 2017 and the first half of 2018, in Chile. METHOD: retrospective descriptive study. The occurrence of events related to pressure ulcers and falls are notified through the Phoenix computer system and are received by the Department of Quality and Patient Safety of the establishment, the economic data were provided by the Department of Finance. The data were processed by Excel computer program. RESULTS: the total costs associated with pressure ulcers and falls:Surgery Service, first semester of 2017: -Pressure ulcers $ 44,086,872 (U$ 57,557)-Falls $ 39,630,517 (U$ 51,739) -Total cost$ 83,717,389 (U$ 109,297)Medicine Service, first semester of 2017: -Pressure ulcers $ 22,654,894 (U$29,803 dollars) -Falls $ 32,023,185 (U$41,807 dollars) -Total cost $ 54,678,079 (U$71,385 dollars)Surgery Service, first semester of 2018: -Pressure ulcers $ 76,979,440 (U$100,500 dollars) -Falls $ 18,522,927 (U$24,182 dollars) -Total cost $ 95,502,367 (U$124,683 dollars)Medicine Service, first semester of 2018: -Pressure ulcers $ 14,981,255 (U$19,558 dollars) -Falls $ 55,258,625 (U$72,142dollars) -Total cost $ 70,239,880 (U$91,701 dollars) CONCLUSIONS: it was possible to collect current information on financial and clinical resources that determine the economic impact generated by adverse events in patients treated in a public healthcare center. This is why the present study made it possible to quantify and demonstrate the economic impact of two events that occurred in the clinical services of a highly complex hospital in Chile.

Pressure ulcers after traumatic spinal injury in East Africa: risk factors, illustrative case, and low-cost protocol for prevention and treatment.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, case-control study. OBJECTIVES: In a traumatic spinal injury (TSI) cohort from Tanzania, we sought to: (1) describe potential risk factors for pressure ulcer development, (2) present an illustrative case, and (3) propose a low-cost outpatient protocol for prevention and treatment. SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: All patients admitted for TSI over a 33-month period were reviewed. Variables included demographics, time to hospital, injury characteristics, operative management, length of hospitalization, and mortality. Pressure ulcer development was the primary outcome. Regressions were used to report potential predictors, and international guidelines were referenced to construct a low-cost outpatient protocol. RESULTS: Of 267 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 51 developed a pressure ulcer. Length of stay was greater for patients with pressure ulcers compared with those without (45 vs. 30 days, p < 0.001). Potential predictors for developing pressure ulcers were: increased days from injury to hospital admission (p = 0.036), American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grade A upon admission (p < 0.001), and thoracic spine injury (p = 0.037). The illustrative case described a young male presenting ~2 months after complete thoracic spinal cord injury with a grade IV sacral pressure ulcer that lead to septic shock and death. Considering the dramatic consequences of pressure ulcers in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we proposed a low-cost protocol for prevention and treatment targeting support surfaces, repositioning, skin care, nutrition, follow-up, and dressing. CONCLUSIONS: Pressure ulcers after TSI in LMICs can lead to increased hospital stays and major adverse events. High-risk patients were those with delayed presentation, complete neurologic injuries, and thoracic injuries. We recommended aggressive prevention and treatment strategies suitable for resource-constrained settings.

Prevention of pressure ulcers among individuals cared for in the prone position: lessons for the COVID-19 emergency.

OBJECTIVE: Pressure ulcers (PUs) involve the destruction of skin and underlying tissue due to prolonged pressure and shear forces. These ulcers are painful and significantly reduce a person's quality of life. PUs are also expensive to manage and impact negatively on the achievement of cost-effective, efficient care delivery. METHOD: Prone positioning is a postural therapy that aims to enhance respiratory function through increasing oxygenation levels. In contemporary clinical practice, ventilation in the prone position is indicated for patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, despite its advantages in terms of respiratory function, several studies have examined complications of prone position ventilation and have identified PUs (facial PUs as well as PUs on other weight-bearing areas of the body) as a frequent complication in patients who are already in a precarious medical situation. International data suggest that up to 57% of patients nursed in the prone position develop a PU. The aim of this clinical review is to identify and review evidence-based recommendations developed to facilitate the selection and application of preventive interventions aimed at reducing PU development in patients ventilated in the prone position. Given the current COVID-19 crisis, this review is timely as intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID-19 require ventilation in the prone position at a level that is disproportionate to the general intensive care population. Up to 28% of patients admitted to the ICU with confirmed infection due to severe COVID-19 are cared for in the prone position. The scope of this review is limited to adult individuals only. RESULTS: The skin assessment should be undertaken before proning and following positioning the patient back into the supine position. Although it is essential to keep the skin clean and moisturised, using pH-balanced cleansers, there is inconsistency in terms of the evidence to support the type of moisturiser. Use of positioning devices in addition to repositioning is recommended to offload pressure points on the face and body. Further, using dressings such as hydrocolloids, transparent film and silicone may be of benefit in decreasing facial skin breakdown. CONCLUSION: Given the importance of PU prevention in this cohort of patients, adopting a focused prevention strategy, including skin assessment and care, offloading and pressure redistribution, and dressings for prevention may contribute to a reduction in the incidence and prevalence of these largely preventable wounds.

Cost of Quality Pilot: A Systematic Methodology for Examining the Cost of Pressure Injury.

Health care costs in the United States are considerable, and total national cost of preventable adverse events in the United States ranges from billions to trillions of dollars annually. Achieving the highest quality of health services requires delivering care that mitigates the risk of patient adverse events. Pressure injuries are a significant and costly adverse event. Mitigating or eliminating harm from pressure injuries not only improves quality and increases patient safety but also decreases costs of care. The purpose of this article is to pilot a systematic methodology for examining the differences in the cost of care for a subset of patients with and without hospital-acquired pressure injuries in an acute care setting.

A multilayer polyurethane foam dressing for pressure ulcer prevention in older hip fracture patients: an economic evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (PU) have a substantial negative impact on patients and continue to impose a cost burden on hospital providers. Since the incidence of fragility fracture is growing, driven by the increase in the older population, it is expected that the overall incidence of associated complications will also increase accordingly. The aim of this economic evaluation was to determine whether the use of a multilayer, silicone-adhesive polyurethane foam dressing (ALLEVYN LIFE, Smith & Nephew, UK) alongside standard prevention (SP) for the prevention of PUs in older patients with hip fractures is a cost-effective strategy, compared with SP alone. METHOD: A decision-analytic model was constructed to determine the incremental cost and effectiveness of the foam dressing strategy from the perspectives of the Italian and US hospital systems. We also performed one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The foam dressing intervention was found to be cost saving and more effective than SP in both Italy and the US. Switching to foam dressing and standard prevention would result in an expected cost saving of €733 per patient in Italy and $840 per patient in the US, reducing the per-patient cost of treating PUs by 37-69% and 36-68%, respectively. The one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrate that the strategy remains dominant over a range of values of the input variables. CONCLUSION: The foam dressing intervention is likely to be a cost-effective strategy compared with standard prevention alone.

Pressure Injury.

BACKGROUND: Pressure injury is seen across all healthcare settings and affects people of any age and health condition. It imposes a significant burden, with annual costs of up to $17.8 billion in the United States alone. Despite considerable resources it exhausts, the disease remains very prevalent, and the incidence is on the rise. This is in part due to aging population, growing number of nursing home residents, poorly understood biology, and dismal track record of clinical research in this field. METHODS: In our Review Article, we discuss the disease pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, evidence based recommendations for risk assessment, prevention and timely management, existing challenges, and directions to improve research on the field. This article encompasses dedicated sections on the full spectrum of the pressure related pathologies including "conventional pressure ulcers", "medical device related pressure injuries", "pressure injuries in mucosal membranes", "pressure injuries in pediatric population", "pressure injury at end of life", and the "role of pressure in pathogenesis of diabetic foot ulcers".

Blending Evidence-Based Practice and Lean Six Sigma Methodology to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries in a Progressive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) continue to challenge acute care facilities. Best practice to reduce HAPI includes assessment, documentation, positioning, and treatment. LOCAL PROBLEM: In spite of using evidence-based practices, the hospital's gastrointestinal/genitourinary progressive care unit had more HAPIs each month than the other units in the hospital. METHODS: A combination of Lean Six Sigma and evidence-based practice was used to decrease HAPIs. INTERVENTIONS: The T program (turn, touch, and tidy) was developed to address the areas of concern identified in the root cause analysis. RESULTS: HAPIs were reduced from 22 in the previous 2 quarters to zero for 3 consecutive quarters with a cost avoidance to $379 767. CONCLUSIONS: The successful implementation of the T program was the result of blending Lean Six Sigma and evidence-based practice.

Treatment and cost of pressure injury stage III or IV in four patients with spinal cord injury: the Basel Decubitus Concept.

Study design: Retrospective chart analyses as part of a quality improvement project. Objectives: To demonstrate treatment of pressure injury (PI) in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and analyse costs using the "modified Basel Decubitus Concept". Setting: Inpatient setting of a specialised acute care and rehabilitation clinic for SCI. Methods: Complex treatment courses of four patients with chronic SCI and PI stage III or IV were described and costs were recorded. The total healthcare services' costs per patient and different profession's involvement were analysed in relation to patient characteristics, treatment phases and milestones demonstrated. Results: The treatment of PI stage III and IV in patients with SCI included input from plastic surgery, rehabilitation medicine, nursing and other involved professions. Recommended interventions were chosen according to the "modified Basel Decubitus Concept". The cost course of PI treatment in patients with SCI depicted the multimodal treatment concept, including three clinically and financially relevant milestones (debridement, flap surgery and mobilisation to wheelchair) as well as the highest costs in the functionally highly dependent patient. Acute care and rehabilitation overlapped with different intensities during the whole treatment process. Conclusion: Multimodal treatment concepts connecting acute and rehabilitation care were applied in these complex health conditions. Cost-explication models including treatment phases and milestones helped to understand resources more easily and integrate aspects of process-based management and quality of care. Scientific evidence is needed to create a recommended quality standard in line with adequate financing of this health condition.

Five-layer border dressings as part of a quality improvement bundle to prevent pressure injuries in US skilled nursing facilities and Australian nursing homes: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

The BORDER III trial found that five-layer silicone border dressings effectively prevented pressure injuries in long-term care, but the value of this approach is unknown. Our objective was to analyse the cost-effectiveness of preventing facility-acquired pressure injuries with a quality improvement bundle, including prophylactic five-layer dressings in US and Australian long-term care. Markov models analysed the cost utility for pressure injuries acquired during long-term care from US and Australian perspectives. Models calibrated outcomes for standard care compared with a dressing-inclusive bundle over 18 monthly cycles or until death based on BORDER III outcomes. Patients who developed a pressure injury simulated advancement through stages 1 to 4. Univariate and multivariate probabilistic sensitivity analyses tested modelling uncertainty. Costs in 2017 USD and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were used to calculate an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Dressing use yielded greater QALYs at slightly higher costs from perspectives. The US ICER was $36 652/QALY, while the Australian ICER was $15 898/QALY, both of which fell below a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis favoured dressings as cost-effective for most simulations. A quality improvement bundle, including prophylactic five-layer dressings, is a cost-effective approach for pressure injury prevention in all US and Australia long-term care residents.

Financial and Clinical Risk Evaluation of Pressure Injuries in US Hospitals: A Business Case for Initiating Quality Improvement.

INTRODUCTION: Pressure injuries (PIs) are a serious, avoidable condition that affect many patients during hospital stays. Yet, to date, there is no comprehensive assessment of the financial and clinical risks of PIs. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the cost of treatment, impact of reimbursement policies, and clinical consequences of PIs for US hospitals. METHODS: A financial and clinical calculator was created to estimate the impact of PI prevention using a traditional literature review to drive assumptions. RESULTS: Two drivers of hospital revenue loss resulting from PIs were identified: nonpayment for PI treatment by health insurance providers and personal injury litigation. Increased hospital length of stay (LOS) and patient mortality associated with PIs further contributed to negative consequences. For an average 160-bed hospital, the authors estimated an annual total financial risk of $5.97 million, 911 days added to LOS, and 16.4 deaths related to avoidable PIs. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this analysis will be useful for health care organizations implementing quality improvement initiatives and new technologies, such as digital wound care management systems, to reduce the prevalence of PIs, thereby protecting patients and mitigating financial and clinical risks.

Prelude to Death or Practice Failure? Trombley-Brennan Terminal Tissue Injury Update.

In 2012, we published a study in this journal exploring the emergence of unique skin changes in end-of-life patients admitted to a palliative care unit. The purpose of the study was to describe the skin changes and identify the relationship between these changes and time of death. In the above study of 80 patients, the skin changes were found to be unique and different from Kennedy terminal ulcers and deep tissue injuries. Median time from identification of skin changes and death was 36 hours. The phenomenon was named as Trombley-Brennan terminal tissue injury. The current article presents findings that include the study of additional 86 patients. The results further validate the phenomenon and its relationship with time of death.