title: Clinical management of pressure ulcers.
abstract: Pressure ulcers are chronic and difficult to heal. Pressure-reducing devices are clearly superior to a standard hospital mattress in preventing pressure ulcers, but only limited evidence and clinical intuition supports pressure-reducing devices in improving the healing rate of pressure ulcers. Local wound treatment should aim at maintaining a moist wound environment. The choice of a particular dressing depends on wound characteristics, such as the amount of exudate, dead space, or wound location. Nutritional status should be addressed as a process of good care. Debridement may improve time to a clean wound bed, but no clearly superior approach has been demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, St Louis University Health Science Center, 1402 South Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. thomasdr@slu.edu
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001458:Bandages; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003646:Debridement; D006801:Humans; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D017592:Skin Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D001688:Biological Products