Pressure ulcers: updated guidelines for treatment and prevention.
Pressure ulcers are prevalent and associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in older patients. Four primary forces--pressure, shearing, friction, and moisture--contribute to their formation. A number of factors place patients at risk, including immobility, age-related skin changes, malnutrition, and cognitive impairment. Turning schedules, special bed surfaces, and other preventive measures have been shown to significantly reduce the effects of these factors. When an ulcer does form, treatment is based on the degree of tissue damage and includes pressure-reducing devices, systemic measures, and local care with debridement, occlusive dressings, and sometimes surgery.
Perez
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Department of Geriatrics, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond.
D000368:Aged; D003646:Debridement; D017276:Friction; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology