American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Certification Practice Exam

Stage I pressure ulcers are not classified as hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) because they are considered a condition that can arise from the normal course of hospitalization and treatment. HACs are serious conditions that occur during a patient's stay in a hospital and are largely preventable with proper care. Stage II pressure ulcers and more severe stages, however, are identified within CMS's classifications as conditions that hospitals should actively work to prevent. This distinction is crucial because it reflects the severity and implications of the condition, focusing on the need for hospitals to implement preventive measures. Other options, such as falls and trauma, catheter-associated infections, and vascular catheter-associated infections, are recognized faults in patient care quality and are explicitly included in the HAC list due to their preventability through appropriate protocols and interventions in a hospital setting. Thus, the correct response highlights that Stage I pressure ulcers are less serious and not viewed in the same preventive light by CMS when considering hospital-acquired conditions.