In a recent issue of the AORN Journal, questions were posed regarding the new Medicare reimbursement policies on hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, the risks of intraoperatively acquired ulcers, and staging pressure ulcers post-op. The response states that “Pressure ulcers that are determined to be OR-acquired may affect the health care organization’s ability to receive payment for the procedure¹.”

It goes on to discuss specific risk factors for perioperative pressure ulcer development, the differences between OR-acquired pressure ulcers and those in non-surgical patients, and the new staging system from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.