FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov.
19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Nephew (LSE: SN; NYSE:
SNN), the global medical technology business, is supporting The
National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) in
its observance of World Wide Pressure Ulcer Prevention Day, aimed
at increasing awareness and education about the importance of
pressure ulcer prevention in the U.S.
Pressure ulcers, also commonly referred to as bed sores, impact
nearly 2.5 million patients and account for approximately 60,000
deaths in the U.S. each year.i Often associated
with severe pain, pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin and
underlying tissue, thought to be caused by prolonged pressure on
the skin.ii
"At Smith & Nephew we support healthcare professionals in
their daily efforts to improve the lives of their patients and we
are proud to support NPUAP's World Wide Pressure Ulcer Prevention
Day," said Glenn Warner, President,
Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Management. "As an organization,
we are deeply committed to educating patients, caregivers and
healthcare professionals about the importance of pressure ulcer
awareness and prevention. We believe that, when armed with the
right information, preventative measures and effective treatment
options, both patients and healthcare professionals can work
together to lessen the burden and occurrence of pressure
ulcers."
In addition to the quality of life impact that pressure ulcers
can have on patients and their caregivers, there are also financial
implications. It is estimated that pressure ulcers cost more
than $10 billion per
yeariii to treat in the U.S. and, according to
Medicare, each pressure ulcer that is treated, adds approximately
$70,000 in costsiii to a
hospital stay.
Additional information on pressure ulcers and World Wide
Pressure Ulcer Prevention Day can be found at:
http://www.npuap.org/resources/educational-and-clinical-resources/2015-world-wide-pressure-ulcer-
prevention-day/
About Pressure Ulcers
Pressure ulcers, or bed sores, are injuries to the skin and
underlying tissue, thought to be caused by prolonged pressure on
the skin.ii They most often develop on patients' heels,
ankles, hips and tailbone. People most at risk for developing
pressure ulcers are those with medical conditions that may limit
their mobility and ability to change positions or that require them
to remain in bed for a prolonged period of time.ii
Pressure ulcers typically develop quickly and can also be difficult
to treat.
About Smith & Nephew
Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business
dedicated to helping healthcare professionals in their daily
efforts to improve the lives of their patients. With leadership
positions in Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management,
Sports Medicine and Trauma and Extremities, Smith & Nephew has
around 14,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries.
Annual sales in 2014 were more than $4.6
billion. Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE:
SN, NYSE: SNN).
For more information about Smith & Nephew, please visit our
corporate website www.smith- nephew.com, follow @SmithNephewplc on
Twitter or visit SmithNephewplc on Facebook.com
Forward-looking Statements
This document may contain
forward-looking statements that may or may not prove
accurate. For
example, statements
regarding expected revenue
growth and trading
margins, market
trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements.
Phrases such as "aim",
"plan", "intend",
"anticipate", "well-placed", "believe", "estimate", "expect",
"target", "consider" and similar expressions are generally
intended to identify forward- looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by
the statements. For Smith & Nephew, these factors include:
economic and financial conditions in the markets we serve,
especially those affecting health care providers, payers and
customers; price levels for established and innovative medical
devices; developments in medical technology; regulatory approvals,
reimbursement decisions or other government actions; product
defects or recalls; litigation relating to patent or other claims;
legal compliance risks and related investigative, remedial or
enforcement actions; strategic actions, including acquisitions and
dispositions, our success in performing due diligence, valuing and
integrating acquired businesses; disruption that may result from
transactions or other changes we make in our business plans or
organisation to adapt to market developments; and numerous other
matters that affect us or our markets, including those of a
political, economic, business, competitive or reputational nature.
Please refer to the documents that Smith & Nephew has filed
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S.
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith &
Nephew's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion
of certain of these factors. Any forward-looking statement is based
on information available to Smith & Nephew as of the date of
the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements
attributable to Smith & Nephew are qualified by this caution.
Smith & Nephew does not undertake any obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any
change in circumstances or in Smith & Nephew's
expectations.
Inquiries
Patricia Burns
817.900.4000
Smith & Nephew
Patricia.Burns@smith-nephew.com
i Are we ready for this change?. October 2014. Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, Rockville, MD.
http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/hospital/pressureulcertoolkit/putool1.html
ii Mayo Clinic. Diseases and Conditions. Bed Sores.
Accessed October 21, 2015:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bedsores/basics/definition/con-20030848
iii National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, European
Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury
Alliance. Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical
Practice Guideline. Emily Haesler
(Ed.). Cambridge Media: Perth,
Australia; 2014.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smith--nephew-supports-world-wide-pressure-ulcer-prevention-day-300181185.html
SOURCE Smith & Nephew