The costs arising from pressure ulcers attributable to malnutrition

Abstract

Background & aims: To estimate the economic consequences of pressure ulcer attributable to malnutrition.

Methods: Statistical models were developed to predict the number of cases of pressure ulcer, associated bed days lost and the dollar value of these losses in public hospitals in 2002/2003 in Queensland, Australia. The following input parameters were specified and appropriate probability distributions fitted.One thousand random re-samples were made and the results expressed as (output) probabilistic distributions.

Results: The model predicts a mean 16,060 (SD 5671) bed days lost and corresponding mean economic cost of AU$12,968,668 (SD AU$4,924,148) (EUROS 6,925,268; SD 2,629,495) of pressure ulcer attributable to malnutrition in 2002/2003 in public hospitals in Queensland, Australia.

Conclusion: The cost of pressure ulcer attributable to malnutrition in bed days and dollar terms are substantial. The model only considers costs of increased length of stay associated with pressure ulcer and not other factors associated with care.