A decubitus ulcer is caused when pressure is continuously put on a part of the body. It usually occurs on a boney prominence on the body, such as your tailbone, elbows, heels, hips, or knees. They are most likely to develop in older adults, normally those who are in a nursing home. Studies show that one in ten nursing homes have suffered from a bedsore.
Stage 1
A stage one decubitus ulcer is not an open wound. It can be red and does not lose color when pressed on. In a darker skinned person the area may not be red but, will have a different color then the surrounding skin. The skin may be warmer, cooler, softer, or firmer compared to the surrounding skin tissue. A decubitus ulcer could be harder to detect in a darker skinned person, and could indicate an "at risk" person. |
A way to treat a stage one or two decubitus ulcer is with cream, ointments, solutions, dressings and certain mattresses. With a stage three or four you would consider surgery. For a stage one or two wound care is used but very little of it. For a stage three or four it would be more excessive. About 70%-90% of pressure sores are superficial and heal by quick intervention. To prevent a pressure sore you would reduce pressure. If it is open and an infection has started more serious measures would be taken. Some sores can be unstageable, because they show signs of different stages at once.