Item Brochure
Reducing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers By Implementing a Skin
Care Regimen* – Evaluating Cost and Outcomes
Shannon RJ, Coombs M, Chakravarthy D. Reducing hospital acquired pressure ulcers with a silicone-based dermal nourishing
emollient skin care regimen in a hospital medical unit – evaluating the cost and consequences. Advances in Wound and Skin
Care. Accepted for publication in 2009.
Objective
The aim of this evaluation was to determine the effect of a Silicone-Based Dermal Nourishing Emollient (SBDNE) regimen on
the reduction of pressure ulcers and costs in a hospital medical unit.
Study Design
• A hospital in the western region of the United States measured hospital-acquired prevalence rates of pressure ulcers in
patients from May 2006 to December 2007.
• A retrospective, longitudinal design is used to examine the changes in pressure ulcer prevalence rates and the economic
effect of introducing a silicone-based dermal nourishing emollient regimen into an existing pressure ulcer prevention protocol.
• A comparison using parametric and non-parametric methods was used to determine statistical differences in the
likelihood of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers before and after implementation of SBDNE.
• Cost estimates from the literature are used to estimate the economic impact of pressure ulcer treatment before and after
the implementation of SBDNE.
Findings
A multi-brand skin care regimen was replaced by a single-brand skin care regimen of products containing SBDNE. After this
single-brand regimen was introduced into an existing pressure ulcer prevention program, the incidence of hospital-acquired
pressure ulcers fell to 0 percent after 8 months.
•Estimated savings was $6,676.63 per patient admitted to the medical unit following implementation of the single-brand
SBDNE skin care regimen.
Proven Results
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
May-06 Sep-06 Jan-07 Mar-07 Jun-07 Sep-07 Dec-07
National PU Avg. Prevalence Rate (10.1%)
Prevalence Rate (%)
Management Changes
Switch to SBDNE (Remedy) Regimen
20%
20%
31%
12%
6%
6%
0%
Prevalence Rates for Medical Unit
* After introducing Remedy,
Pressure Ulcer Prevalence
rates dropped from 12%
to 0%, helping achieve
an estimated savings of
$6,676.63 per patient.
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*Remedy Skin Care
96580_DMS211384_Remedy_update_tk.indd 4 9/29/11 2:53 PM