Prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers are complex chronic wounds for which no gold standard for prevention or treatment has yet been established. Several attempts at developing guidelines has been undertaken by different organizations. Pressure ulcers are devastating comorbidities for patients and difficult to prevent or manage. Whether or not pressure ulcers are preventable remains controversial. The strategy for prevention includes recognizing the risk, decreasing the effects of pressure, assessing nutritional status, avoiding excessive bed rest and prolonged sitting, and preserving the integrity of the skin. The principles of treatment of pressure ulcers include assessing severity, reducing pressure, friction and shear forces, optimizing local wound care, removing necrotic debris, managing bacterial contamination, and correcting nutritional deficits.