Areas Where Bedsores Occur

Bed sores, also known as pressure sores or decubitis ulcers, are a breakdown and ulceration of tissue due to a combination of the weight of the body on the surface of the skin and the friction of a resistant surface such as a bed. Areas where bony prominences are less padded by muscle and fat, such as the hip bones, tailbone and heels of the feet, are most susceptible to bed sores. Non-mobile patients are vulnerable to the formation pressure sores when left lying for long periods of time in the same prone position.

Progression of a Decubitis Ulcer

If untreated, a pressure sore can progress from a small irritated but unbroken skin patch to a potentially life-threatening wound involving extensive tissue death and infection. Treatment of the serious decubitus ulcer may include drying out the wound, debriding (excising) the dead tissue, and administering systemic antibiotics.