Sharp CA and White R.

Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment: Do we need a ‘golden hour?’

Journal of wound care  vol 24, no 3, march 2015 

Letter to the Editor

Screening patients on  admission using rapid clinical  judgement, focusing on  immobility, the only evidence based risk factor for pressure  ulcer development,6 is the fastest  way to determine risk.  Interventions could then be  provided immediately and  pressure ulcers prevented.  Accordingly reducing delays in  screening for pressure ulcer risk  and providing pressure relief  within the first ‘golden hour’  must henceforth be considered  as the foundation of pressure  ulcer prevention. It is  unconscionable to delay  assessment for up to eight hours.