Purpose: This communication reports the �2005 International Pressure Ulcer PrevalenceTM Survey� Long Term Care (LTC) results for participating US facilities to allow benchmarking against like facilities and to review trends in LTC.

Methods: In March 2005, fifty-two LTC facilities were surveyed in the United States for prevalence of pressure ulcers. Surveys were performed by teams of clinical staff recording patient demographics, risk assessment score, age, race, stage and quantity of ulcers. Data was sent to the sponsor of the survey, Hill-Rom�, where it was aggregated for national reporting. Additionally each facility's data was benchmarked against like institutions and returned to the participating facility for confidential review.

Results: A total of 6,242 patients were assessed with 897 (14.4%) of them exhibiting a pressure ulcer, 352 (5.6%) patients had facility acquired (FA) ulcers. Excluding Stage I ulcers, prevalence is 11.4% and 3.7% respectively.

Stage II ulcers (39.0%) were most commonly identified followed by Stage I (20.4%), Stage IV (14.2%), Stage III (11.0%), unable to stage (9.3%) and eschar (6.1%). Heel ulcers are most common FA ulcer at 24.5%, followed by foot ulcers (20.2%) then buttocks and sacrum are both at 15%. Pressure ulcers on the sacrum and buttocks had high prevalence overall (non-FA).

LTC overall prevalence was 13.2% in 2003, 13.6% in 2004, and 14.4% in 2005. LTC FA ulcer prevalence showed prevalence at 4.2% in 2003, 6.0% in 2004, and 5.6% in 2005. 12/52 (23.1%) institutions had less than 1% FA prevalence and 17/52 (32.7%) had less than 2% FA rates.

Conclusion: LTC facility acquired ulcers were most common by far in the lower extremity (44.7%). An emphasis should be placed on prevention of these ulcers throughout the residents daily living activities. Prevention of pressure ulcer formation is possible, as seen with the number of facilities reporting <1% FA pressure ulcers.