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Nursing home residents who are admitted from hospitals have a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers than those who were transferred from the community, a new study confirms.

Researchers looked at data from more than 5,000 Canadian nursing home residents admitted between 2008 and 2012 in order to back up the belief that pressure ulcers are reported more often among residents who transfer from hospitals. 

Of the 68% of residents who were admitted directly from a hospital, slightly over 9% were found to have a pressure ulcer upon admission. On the other hand, 2.6% of residents who were admitted from the community had pressure ulcers.

Results of the study, which were published in the February issue of Medical Care, showed that residents who were admitted to nursing homes directly from the hospital — regardless of their susceptibility to ulcers — had a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers or higher chances of already having one.

The study’s authors called for providers to use preventive care practices to help alleviate the risk of pressure ulcers for residents admitted directly from the hospital.