From 170 years of wound care expertise to two breakthrough innovations — how Smith+Nephew is giving hospitals the tools to stop pressure injuries before they form.

Every shift, nurses in hospitals across America face an invisible threat: patients silently developing pressure injuries from sustained immobility. These wounds — which can range from superficial skin breakdown to deep tissue damage — are among the most preventable complications in healthcare, yet they continue to affect 2.5 million Americans at a cost of an estimated $26.8 billion annually to the system. The problem is compounded by inconsistent repositioning protocols, staff shortages, and a market flooded with foam dressing options to choose from. Smith+Nephew, a healthcare company since 1856, has entered 2026 with two solutions designed to change that equation. The LEAF Patient Monitoring System is a wearable, wireless device that not only helps manage patient turn protocol schedules but documents whether each turn was adequate — giving charge nurses and quality officers real data to act on. Paired with ALLEVYN COMPLETE CARE, a next-generation 5-layer foam dressing built with proprietary ShearDEFENSE technology, Smith+Nephew offers a comprehensive, clinically-aligned prevention portfolio. Both products are aligned to the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) guidelines, meaning they’re grounded in evidence, not marketing. For hospital CNOs, patient safety officers, and wound care specialists looking to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and protect patients — this is the segment to watch.

1. Padula WV, Delarmente BA. The national cost of hospital-acquired pressure injuries in the United States. Int Wound J. 2019 Jun;16(3):634-640. doi: 10.1111/iwj.13071. Epub 2019 Jan 28. PMID: 30693644; PMCID: PMC7948545.
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Eliminating serious, preventable, and costly medical errors—never events [fact sheet]. 2006 May 18. Available from: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/eliminating-serious-preventable-and-costly-medical-errors-never-events