Report: Incidence of pressure ulcers increased 80% between 1993 and 2006 among hospital patients

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December 10, 2008

New information from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) shows that the incidence of pressure ulcers among hospital patients increased steadily between 1993 and 2006. Published iIn its report Hospitalizations Related to Pressure Ulcers among Adults 18 Years and Older, 2006, The the AHRQ analyzed more than 503,000 patients whose hospitalizations were pressure ulcer-related. Findings included

• An increase in pressure ulcers being the primary diagnosis (45,500 in 2006, up from 35,800 in 1993)
• An increase in pressure ulcers being the secondary diagnosis, which means patients were admitted for another reason, but developed pressure ulcers before or after admission (457,800 in 2006, up from 245,600 in 1993)
• A death rate of 1 in 25 when pressure ulcers were primary diagnosis, and a higher death rate of 1 in 8 when pressure ulcers were the secondary diagnosis
• A greater cost and number of days spent in the hospital for those patients with pressure ulcers

To read the report, click here.