Pressure Ulcers in the ICU Patient: an Update on Prevention and Treatment

The occurrence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) is a recognized metric of quality of care by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Pressure ulcer (PU) prevention and treatment have become a priority for many facilities as the reimbursement for hospital-acquired PUs has been significantly restricted by regulations implemented by CMS in 2008. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at higher risk for PU development due to comorbidities and life-saving treatment modalities in this environment. PU occurrence in ICUs ranges from 8.8 to 23 %. The literature was reviewed for recent advances in PU prevention and treatment in ICU patients. Advancements include risk assessment, education, turning schedules, providing staff with feedback from audits, lift teams, review of linen, consensus statement regarding unavoidable PU, treatment modalities, and an assessment of the knowledge providers have of PU prevention and treatment.