Pressure ulcers - what to ask your doctor

What to ask your health care provider about pressure ulcers; Bedsores - what to ask your health care provider

Pressure ulcers are also called bedsores, or pressure sores. They can form when your skin and soft tissue press against a harder surface, such as a chair or bed for a prolonged time. This pressure reduces the blood supply to that area. Lack of blood supply can cause the skin tissue in this area to become damaged or die. When this happens, a pressure ulcer may form.

Below are some questions you may want to ask your health care provider to help you or the person taking care of you to prevent and take care of pressure ulcers.

Areas where bedsores occur

Bedsores, 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 bedsores. Non-mobile patients are vulnerable to the formation pressure sores when left lying for long periods of time in the same prone position.

Questions