What is a pressure ulcer?

Pressure ulcers are chronic wounds which are common in patients who are unable to relieve pressure due to either being bedridden for long periods of time, or immobilised due to illness / accident. Pressure ulcers require frequent care and take several months to heal and mainly affects elderly patients, with more than 70% percent of pressure ulcers occurring on patients over 70 years of age⁽¹⁾.

A pressure ulcer is an ischaemic necrosis of the skin and/or subcutaneous tissue, usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure or pressure in combination with shear. The prolonged blood vessels compression decreases oxygen supply locally and is responsible for the degradation of the tissues.

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What are the risk factors to developing a pressure ulcer?

All patients are potentially at risk of developing a pressure ulcer. However, it is more likely to occur in patients with:

• Poor mobility due to impaired motor skills and/or neurological conditions.
• Older patients, over 70 are particularly at risk⁽¹⁾.
• Poor posture
• Poor nutrition
• Poor skin condition. The finer the skin, the more sensitive it is to friction, shear and pressure.
• Incontinent patients

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DID YOU KNOW? Pressure ulcers - prevalence

In Europe, there are 4 million people suffering from pressure ulcers, a sad reality which is as much as as the entire population of Rome.

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1. YoungJB, Dobrzanski S. Pressure sores. Epidemiology and current management concepts.Drugs Aging. 1992 Jan-Feb;2(1):42-57. doi: 10.2165/00002512-199202010-00006.PMID: 1554973.