Pressure Ulcers

Abstract

Perhaps no physical sign is more greatly associated with frailty and dependency in the minds of clinicians, patients, and families than is the decubitus ulcer (pressure sore, pressure ulcer). Derived from the Latin roots “decubere” (to lie down) and “ulcus” (sore or disruption), decubitus ulcers develop over bony prominences or other areas of pressure in patients who are immobile and often thin, anemic, malnourished, and/or dehydrated. In an effort to improve clarity for education, the term “pressure ulcer” replaced “decubitus ulcer” in the 1980s. The efforts to treat pressure ulcers have led to a wide variety of dressings or covers and to the growth of industries manufacturing special surfaces on which patients may recline. The development, severity, and progression of pressure ulcers are used as measures of quality of care in many settings.