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Pressure Ulcer Fact Sheet

In recent years, the number of studies done on the prevalence and costs of pressure ulcers has increased, and we now have a clearer idea of the enormous cost of pressure ulcers to Canadian society.

How Many?
The prevalence of pressure ulcers in Canada is 25% in acute care, 30% in non-acute care, 22% in mixed health-care settings, and 15% in community care. (Woodbury MG, Houghton PE. Prevalence of pressure ulcers in Canadian health-care settings. Ostomy/Wound Management. 2004;50(10):22-38.)

How Much?
In a recent U.K. study that breaks down the costs of treating each pressure ulcer by degree of trauma (stages) and complication, figures indicate monthly costs (in Canadian dollars) of:
Uncomplicated Stage I = $2450 to Stage IV: $3230
Complicated with critical colonization Stage II = $3616 to Stage III / IV = $4003
Complicated with osteomyelitis Stage II to IV = $12,658
(Bennett G, Dealy C and Posnett J. The cost of pressure ulcers in the UK. Age and Ageing. 2004;33(3):230-235.)

In Canada, one month of care in the community for a pressure ulcer is $9,000. (Allen J, Houghton PE. Electrical Stimulation: A Case Study for a Stage III Pressure Ulcer. Wound Care Canada. 2004;2(1):34-36.)

In the U.S., studies estimate the cost to heal one ulcer as ranging from U.S. $5,000 to $25,000; the total financial burden runs well over U.S. $5 billion annually. (Gentzkow GD, et al. Improved healing of pressure ulcers using Dermapulse, a new electrical stimulation device. Wounds. 1991;3(5):158-170.)

How Long?
In England the mean length of stay in hospital for a pressure ulcer was 38.3 days (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03).

How Bad?
These figures cannot begin to address patient suffering, however. The presence of a pressure ulcer can significantly impair quality of life, result in pain, and lead to deconditioning for patients who are bedridden for extended periods. In some cases, the presence of a pressure ulcer can lead to death. Mortality rates are as high as 60% in the elderly with a pressure ulcer within one year of discharge from hospital. (Lyder CH. Pressure ulcer prevention. Annual Review of Nursing Research. 2002;20:35-61.)

Dollars and Sense
Use this formula to figure out the approximate cost of pressure ulcers to a facility.

Example:

Multiply the answer by $5,000 (a number that reflects the low-end cost for one month of treatment, based on U.S. figures in the second statistic in “How Much?” above, or reflects a conservative mean in the set of statistics from the U.K. study). This is the amount a medium-sized long-term care facility may spend every month to treat their patients with pressure ulcers.

Which Makes More Sense?
In our example above, 60 x $5,000 = $300,000! Which makes more sense: wait to treat pressure ulcers after they develop or prevent them in the first place?