FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2014
Washington, DC – According to the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Practice Guidelines; “Pressure Ulcers increase hospital costs significantly. In the US, pressure ulcer care is estimated to approach $11 billion (USD) annually, with a cost of between $500 (USD) and $70,000 (USD) per individual pressure ulcer.”1
The NPUAP defines a pressure ulcer as: “Localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear.”
“Pressure Ulcers are a frequently occurring health problem throughout the world. They are painful, costly, and an often preventable complication for which many individuals are at risk,” as stated in the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Practice Guideline.
The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) is proud to announce that World Wide Pressure Ulcer Prevention Day is to be celebrated on November 20, 2014. The objective of World Wide Pressure Ulcer Prevention Day is to increase national awareness for pressure ulcer prevention and to educate the public on this topic. NPUAP has developed an extensive media materials package appropriate for all healthcare settings and organizations. To download this free material visit: http://www.npuap.org/resources/educational-and-clinical-resources/2014-world-wide-pressure-ulcer-prevention-day/
Seeking to make this year’s event large and visible to the public, the NPUAP welcomes the support of organizations and corporate partners who wish to affiliate with this significant activity.
On November 20 at 2:00 PM Eastern, in honor of World Wide Pressure Ulcer Prevention Day, the NPUAP is pleased to offer a FREE webinar, hosted by Dr. Nancy Bergstrom, titled “Repositioning as a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Strategy: A Multi-site Clinical Trial.” Dr. Bergstrom will introduce findings from the TURN Study conducted at UT Health School of Nursing, where researchers looked at optimal frequency of patient repositioning for pressure ulcer prevention. Stay tuned at www.npauap.org for more information on how to register.
1 National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance. Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Practice Guideline. Emily Haesler (Ed.) Cambridge Media; Osborne Park, Western Australia; 2014.