The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) continues to be the “authoritative voice for improved patient outcomes in pressure injury prevention.” The NPUAP Web site (www.npuap.org) offers resources, from illustrations of the different stages of pressure injuries to educational opportunities and news about pressure injuries and wound care.

And there’s a lot of news to report. In 2016, NPUAP adopted pressure injury as the preferred term over pressure ulcer, and Suspected Deep Tissue Pressure Injury was shortened to Deep Tissue Pressure Injury (DTI).

“The original definition was written over 10 years ago and little was known about the problem of DTI at that time,” the NPUAP said. “Today, more is known, and we are able to diagnose with more accuracy.”

A Time of Change

The site also includes industry news, including the NPUAP’s June 20 announcement that it has released a new consumer survey.

“The Consumer Survey will provide critical information to inform the 2019 revision of Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Clinical Practice Guideline,” NPUAP said in its announcement.

“Systematic literature reviews and evidence appraisals are well underway as the NPUAP works with its international partners, the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance (PPPIA), to incorporate new evidence into the third edition of our international guideline.”

The NPUAP is seeking input from patients (or their caregivers and families) who have had a pressure injury or have taken steps to prevent one.

The consumer survey can be found at internationalguideline.com/consumers. It’s available in English, Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Thai.

The NPUAP’s annual conference is traditionally scheduled for March, with the 2019 edition now slated to take place March 1-2 in St. Louis.