Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers
Authors: Todd J. Kowalski, Michelle L. Tilson, Sonya A. Brickner
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Letters20 October 2015Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure UlcersTodd J. Kowalski, MD, Michelle L. Tilson, CWOCN, and Sonya A. Brickner, CWOCN, CFCNTodd J. Kowalski, MDFrom Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, Wisconsin.Search for more papers by this author, Michelle L. Tilson, CWOCNFrom Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, Wisconsin.Search for more papers by this author, and Sonya A. Brickner, CWOCN, CFCNFrom Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, Wisconsin.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L15-5147-2 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Qaseem and colleagues' clinical practice guidelines for prevention, assessment, and treatment of pressure ulcers (1, 2) highlight the dearth of evidence available to guide clinicians and health systems. This is salient because pressure ulcers have been coined “never events.” Since 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has withheld reimbursement for treatment of hospital-acquired stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers, but—in contrast to other disease states for which evidence strongly suggests that better processes yield better outcomes—pressure ulcer rates have not decreased (3). Furthermore, 100% of expert voting attendees at a recent NPUAP consensus conference believe ...References1. Qaseem A, Mir TP, Starkey M, Denberg TD; Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Risk assessment and prevention of pressure ulcers: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162:359-69. [PMID: 25732278] doi:10.7326/M14-1567 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Qaseem A, Humphrey LL, Forciea MA, Starkey M, Denberg TD; Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Treatment of pressure ulcers: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162:370-9. [PMID: 25732279] doi:10.7326/M14-1568 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Waters TM, Daniels MJ, Bazzoli GJ, Perencevich E, Dunton N, Staggs VS, et al. Effect of Medicare's nonpayment for Hospital-Acquired Conditions: lessons for future policy. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175:347-54. [PMID: 25559166] doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5486 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Black JM, Edsberg LE, Baharestani MM, Langemo D, Goldberg M, McNichol L, et al; National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. Pressure ulcers: avoidable or unavoidable? Results of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Consensus Conference. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2011;57:24-37. [PMID: 21350270] MedlineGoogle Scholar5. Sullivan R. A two-year retrospective review of suspected deep tissue injury evolution in adult acute care patients? Ostomy Wound Manage. 2013;59:30-9. [PMID: 24018390] MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, Wisconsin.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L15-0423. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoRisk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians Amir Qaseem , Tanveer P. Mir , Melissa Starkey , Thomas D. Denberg , and Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers William V. Padula , C. Tod Brindle , and Mary Beth F. Makic Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Mary Ann Forciea , Linda L. Humphrey , and Amir Qaseem Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers William V. Padula , C. Tod Brindle , and Mary Beth F. Makic Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Mary Ann Forciea , Linda L. Humphrey , and Amir Qaseem Metrics 20 October 2015Volume 163, Issue 8Page: 645-646KeywordsDisclosureHealth care qualityLesionsMedicarePressure ulcersResearch quality assessmentRisk assessmentsSafetyTreatment guidelinesUlcers ePublished: 20 October 2015 Issue Published: 20 October 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...