The NPIAP Publishes State of the Science Paper on Pressure Injury in Persons with Dark Skin Tones

For additional information, please contact:
Kirsten Singleton, MBA, CAE
Executive Director, National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel, Inc.
Email: Kirsten@NPIAP.com

The National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel Publishes State of the Science Paper on Pressure Injury in Persons with Dark Skin Tones

The National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) is pleased to announce that our state of the science paper has been published in Advances in Skin and Wound Care (ASWC) on the increased incidence and poorer outcomes of pressure injury in patients with dark skin tones. The paper is freely available through open access until November at the ASWC website.     

NPIAP did some of the earliest work in the late 1990s, identifying the issues surrounding higher rates of full thickness PI in persons with dark skin tones. Over the intervening years, NPIAP and others have continued to research the problem. At this year’s NPIAP meeting in San Diego, the issue of identification of stage 1 and deep tissue pressure injury in persons with dark skin tones was again discussed. Today we have methods to augment visual assessment of skin which helps to identify early signs of stage 1 and deep tissue injury. The paper summarizes that work and clearly highlights the issues that all health professionals should be addressing.

NPIAP appreciates the assistance of the editors at ASWC and the support of Elizabeth Ayello, Editor-in Chief, to expedite this paper into production and to provide it at no charge via open access.