Bed Sore FAQ» Bed Sore FAQ: Hospital bed sores | Pressure sores, ulcers | Decubitus ulcers

Simple preventative techniques can drastically reduce the rate of hospital-acquired decubitus ulcers

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:21:43 +0000

Though surely an unanticipated complication, hospital-acquired decubitus ulcers (also referred to as: pressure ulcers, pressure sores or bed sores) remain a tremendous problem for patients and the hospital itself. Acknowledging the negative impact of decubitus ulcers, Texas Arlington Memorial Hospital set out to create a program to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired decubitus ulcers. Though hardly high-tech, the hospital cut the rate of decubitus ulcers by 63% utilizing the following techniques:

Screening all new admission for decubitus ulcers
Encouraging patients who are physically able to use the toilet as opposed to diapers
Empowering all hospital staff: physicians, CNA’s, RN’s and others to identify and document all signs of early stage decubitus ulcers when caring for patients
Implementing extra skin checks for physically disabled patients or those who constantly use medical equipment like oxygen masks or tubing
Analyzing all patient records on a quarterly basis to determine which preventative techniques are working and those that are not

Why is it important to differentiate the type of facility where a bed sore developed?

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:10:26 +0000

The first step in evaluating a bed sore case, is to determine when at what type of facility the bed sore developed. Aside from obviously knowing which facility to pursue a claim or lawsuit against, knowing how the facility is legally categorized is essential to a successful recovery.

The legal classification of the facility: nursing home, group home, hospital or assisted living facility is important for determining which laws are applicable to the case.

Although the underlying injury be be the result of negligent care at any of the facilities listed above, there can be substantial differences in the how the claim or lawsuit needs to be pursued. For example, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit against a nursing home for a resulting bed sore (similarly called: pressure sore, pressure ulcer or decubitus ulcer) may be one time period while a similar lawsuit against a hospital for development of a bed sore may be different.

Making these matters more complicated, is the fact that the names of many facilities may be misleading. In other words, just because a facility is called “Bob’s Old Folks Hospital”– it may actually be licensed as a nursing home or home care facility.

Contacting an experienced lawyer, who has litigated bed sore cases in a variety of settings, can provide a level of comfort when navigating the complicated minefield related to facility names and applicable laws relevant to how facilities are licensed.

Fore more information on the laws applicable to bed sore claims and lawsuits involving nursing homes and hospitals in each state visit: Nursing Home Injury Laws

How many hospital patients suffer from bed sores?

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:35:47 +0000

One of the largest studies regarding bed sores in a hospital setting was carried out by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The report concluded that hospitalizations for bed sores (also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, pressure sores) have increased by more than 80% from 1993 to 2006. This increase includes people who were admitted to the hospital because of pressure sores or developed them while being treated for another condition in the hospital.

Among some of the more startling finding in the report include:

In 2006, there were 503,300 hospital stays with pressure ulcers noted as a diagnosis–an increase of nearly 80% since 1993. The pressure ulcer stays totaled $11 billion in hospital costs.
More than 90% of the pressure ulcer-related hospitalizations were intended to be for medical conditions unrelated to pressure ulcer treatment.
Compared to stays for all other medical conditions, hospital stays related to pressure ulcers were more often discharged to and long-term care facility and more likely to result in death.
72% of adults hospitalized with a secondary pressure sore diagnosis were 65 or older. In comparison 56.5% of adult patients had a principal diagnosis of pressure ulcers were 65 or older.
Medicare was the biggest payer for hospital stays related to pressure ulcers- Medicare paid the bills for 3 out of 4 pressure ulcer stays.
Paralysis and spinal cord injury were common co-existing conditions among younger adults hospitalized principally for pressure ulcers.

Read more about this bed sore study here.

Pressure Sores In Hospitals On The Rise

What can hospitals do to reduce the rate of bed sores in their facilities?

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:50:11 +0000

In order for hospitals to reduce the rate of bed sores (also commonly referred to as: pressure ulcers, pressure sores or decubitus ulcers), the facility first must acknowledge that bed sores acquired in a hospital setting are a real problem.

Hospital administrators should take note of the program implemented by Texas Arlington Memorial Hospital to reduce hospital-acquired bed sores. The program implemented by Texas Arlington resulted in a 63% reduction in pressure sores. This hospital accomplished this by taking the following steps:

Identifying decubitus ulcers on all new admissions
Reducing use of diapers amongst patients
Encouraging all staff to look for and document decubitus ulcers, even in their earliest stages
Paying extra attention to patients who are bed bound or who’s skin comes into contact with medical equipment like oxygen masks or tubing
Implementing daily skin checks and intensive, hospital-wide skin checks on a quarterly basis to help the facility keep accurate tabs on how well its wound prevention program is working
Empowering all staff to bring the early signs of bed sores to the attention of physicians and supervisors

Reduction of Hospital-acquired Pressure Ulcers at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital

Are hospital patients prone to develop bed sores?

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:29:59 +0000

Patients in hospitals encounter many of the same problems as nursing home patients. Although most commonly associated with nursing homes, patients in hospitals and rehab facilities are particularly susceptible to bed sores because many facilities focus on acute medical conditions and fail to address patients daily living needs. Many hospitals simply fail to train their staff on how to prevent, identify and treat bed sores.

A recent study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality determined that the rate of hospital-acquired bed sores has increased over the last decade. According to the report, the rate of hospital-acquired bed sores (also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores) has increased 80% from 1993 to 2006. Among the more disturbing ‘highlights’ in the report are:

In 2006, there were 503,300 hospital stays with pressure ulcers noted as a diagnosis–an increase of nearly 80% since 1993.
On an annual basis pressure ulcer stays total $11 billion in hospital costs.
More than 90% of the pressure ulcer-related hospitalizations were intended to be for medical conditions unrelated to pressure ulcer treatment.
Compared to hospital stays for all other medical conditions, hospital stays related to pressure ulcers were more often discharged to and long-term care facility and more likely to result in death.
72% of adults hospitalized with a secondary pressure sore diagnosis were 65 or older. In comparison 56.5% of adult patients had a principal diagnosis of pressure ulcers were 65 or older.
Medicare was the biggest payer for hospital stays related to pressure ulcers- Medicare paid the bills for 3 out of 4 pressure ulcer stays.
Paralysis and spinal cord injury were common co-existing conditions among younger adults hospitalized principally for pressure ulcers.

Related Information:

Over 500,000 Adults Suffer From Bed Sores In Hospitals, Nursing Homes Abuse Blog, December 10, 2008