How Common Are Pressure Ulcers

Each year, more than 2.5 million people in the United States develop pressure ulcers. These skin lesions bring pain, associated risk for serious infection, and increased health care utilization.

Are pressure ulcers rare?

This is usually people with an underlying health condition – for example, around 1 in 20 people who are admitted to hospital with a sudden illness will develop a pressure ulcer.

How common are pressure ulcers in Australia?

The rate of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) which includes the diagnoses Stage III ulcer, Stage IV ulcer and Unspecified decubitus ulcer and pressure area, in Australian hospitals was 9.7 injuries per 10,000 hospitalisations in 2015–16 [2].