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Pressure ulcer prevalence in Europe: a pilot study

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TLDR
The methodology is sufficiently robust to measure and compare pressure ulcer prevalence in different countries and indicates that more attention to prevention is needed in Europe.
Abstract
Rationale and aims  Numerous prevalence studies have been conducted. The problem with these studies is that prevalence proportions cannot be compared with each other, because of differences in performance of each survey. There is no agreed standardized method for determining prevalence proportions. This study aimed to develop and pilot a uniform data collection instrument and methodology to measure the pressure ulcer prevalence and to get some insight into pressure ulcer prevalence across different patient groups in Europe. Methods  Pressure ulcer experts from different European countries developed a data collection instrument, which included five categories of data: general data, patient data, risk assessment, skin observation and prevention. A convenience sample of university and general hospitals of Belgium, Italy, Portugal, UK and Sweden participated in the study. In each participating hospital, teams of two trained nurses who collected the data on the wards were established. All patients admitted before midnight on the day of the survey and older than 18 years were included. Results  The data collection instrument and study procedure of the survey were found to be effective by all participants. 5947 patients were surveyed in 25 hospitals in five European countries. The pressure ulcer prevalence (grade 1–4) was 18.1% and if grade 1 ulcers were excluded, it was 10.5%. The sacrum and heels were the most affected locations. Only 9.7% of the patients in need of prevention received fully adequate preventive care. Conclusion  The methodology is sufficiently robust to measure and compare pressure ulcer prevalence in different countries. The pressure ulcer prevalence was higher than expected and relatively few patients received adequate prevention. This indicates that more attention to prevention is needed in Europe.

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The resource impact of wounds on health-care providers in Europe.

TL;DR: Most of the literature focuses on the resources required to manage particular wound types, rather than the cost of wounds to health-care organisations, so wound care is unlikely to be a management priority.
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The cost of prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers: A systematic review.

TL;DR: Although the cost to provide pressure ulcer prevention to patients at risk can importantly impact health care services' budgets, the costs to treat a severe pressure ulcers were found to be substantially higher.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

A wheelchair cushion designed to redistribute sites of sitting pressure

TL;DR: A computerized pressure grid was developed that allowed evaluation of anatomically localized pressures and an entirely new form of seating was designed to decrease absolute pressure using a prosthetic fitting technique analogous to a below-the-knee prosthesis.
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A comparison of pressure ulcer prevalence: concerted data collection in the Netherlands and Germany

TL;DR: The Dutch sample had a higher share of risk-patients and a higher PU frequency, and a standardization appropriate to a risk assessment reduce the differences.
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Sitting posture and prevention of pressure ulcers

TL;DR: To what extent different seat cushions designed for incontinent patients reduce maximum pressures are established and to what extent thick air cushion (Repose) has the lowest maximum pressure and is significantly better at reducing the high pressure when slouching or sliding down.
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Cost of pressure ulcer prevention in long-term care.

TL;DR: The total cost of pressure ulcer prevention, component costs of each intervention, and the relationship of costs to subjects' risk level are described.
Journal ArticleDOI

Pressure Ulcer Assessment

TL;DR: Clinical assessment should include ulcer history, anatomic location, stage, size, sinus tracts, undermining, tunneling, exudate or drainage, necrotic tissue, presence or absence of granulation tissue, and epithelialization.
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