Longevity & AgingSkin Failure in Critical Illness Lacks a Verified Diagnosis, Experts Conclude
In August 2024, the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel convened a multidisciplinary think tank to evaluate whether 'skin failure' in critically ill adults warrants its own diagnostic code. After reviewing the literature and deliberating, experts concluded that non-pressure-related skin failure lacks a clearly established etiology, pathophysiology, or histopathology distinct from pressure injury. While hypoperfusion is hypothesized as a key mechanism, no published photographs or biopsy data confirm a unique clinical entity. The panel defined skin failure as injury occurring despite standard preventive care with no identifiable alternative cause, but emphasized that this definition is insufficient to support a specific ICD-10-CM code. Substantial further research is required before skin failure can be codified as a separate diagnosis.
