Evaluation of Current Pressure Ulcer Staging

Abstract

Background

We sought to assess health professionals’ satisfaction with the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel staging system (NPUAP).

Methods

A paper survey assessing the satisfaction with the NPUAP was distributed to participants of a national wound care meeting. A total of 88 surveys were completed. Results were tabulated using SPSS.

Results

The survey response rate was 50%. Nearly all respondents (95.0%) used NPAUP for documentation. 75.3% indicated that a better staging system was needed. When participants were asked to evaluate their current staging system, 63.5% stated that the system does not adequately reflect patient’s clinical condition, 61.6% felt that the current staging system was not easily reproducible, 58.0% believed that the current staging system was generally easy-to-use, and 43.9% indicated that it is unable to suggest management recommendations. When asked about an ideal classification system, the respondents proposed incorporating tissue necrosis (97.6%), depth of tissue involvement (96.3%), discharge documentation (92.5%), presence of osteomyelitis (90%), local infection (88.8%), and systemic infection (80.0%). Overall, 67.0% of the participants wanted to use a classification system that would reflect the progress of injury healing and could be used to indicate the need for intervention.

Discussion

Health care workers caring for pressure injury patients indicated dissatisfaction with the NPAUP.