Joyce M. Black, Ph.D.

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

Researchers looked at data from more than 5,000 Canadian nursing home residents 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, 9.2% of those were found to have a pressure ulcer upon admission. On the other hand, just 2.6% of residents who were admitted from the community had pressure ulcers.

Results of the study, which was published in 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.

Providers can find out wound care recommendations from expert Joyce M. Black, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, the past president of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, during the McKnight’s Online Expo on March 29. Black will present how to identify and treat deep tissue wounds, and ways to manage wound risk, at 11:30 am ET. For more information on the expo, or for the free registration form, click here.