The financial costs of inpatient pressure ulcers to an acute care facility.

The variable costs for treatment of pressure ulcers in an acute care facility that is part of a health maintenance organization were examined in a three-month, retrospective study. The average age of these patients was 75.61 and the average cost of treatment per day was $80.42. The average total variable cost per patient was $1,300.37. The average variable cost for treatment of a patient admitted for an ulcer was $3,746.03, while the average variable cost for treatment of patients admitted for other reasons was $621.02.