[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 182 (Friday, November 16, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING 2018 WORLD WIDE PRESSURE INJURY PREVENTION DAY AND H. RES. 
                                  1133

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM EMMER

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 16, 2018

  Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to the 2018 
World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day and to express my support for 
H. Res. 1133 which I recently introduced to raise awareness to an 
epidemic affecting our country and the entire world.
  Pressure injuries and their associated complications lead to over 
60,000 deaths in patients per year, affect over 2 million Americans, 
and cost the United States health care system nearly $11 billion 
annually.
  Between 2016 and 2017, hospital-acquired pressure injury incidence 
rates increased by 58.4 percent. Clearly we need additional research to 
advance treatments for pressure injury patients. This will also relieve 
the financial burden on government and health care providers around the 
country.
  World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day, observed annually on the 
third Thursday in November, and the National Pressure Ulcer/Injury 
Prevention Day proposed in H. Res. 1133, serve as reminders for all 
that we must do more if we hope to overcome this challenging health 
care dilemma.
  I look forward to working with the House Energy and Commerce 
Committee in considering H. Res. 1133 for the benefit of all Americans 
to reduce the prevalence and impact of this overlooked, yet devastating 
health care condition.

                          ____________________