Pressure Ulcer Incidence in Patients Wearing Nasal-Oral Versus Full-Face Noninvasive Ventilation Masks.

Background: Device-related pressure ulcers from noninvasive ventilation masks alter skin integrity and cause patients discomfort.

Objective: To examine the incidence, location, and stage of pressure ulcers and patients' comfort with a nasal-oral mask compared with a full-face mask.

Methods: A before-after study of a convenience sample of patients with noninvasive ventilation orders in 5 intensive care units was conducted.