1. The Truth about Decubitus Ulcers
Created By: Kelsey Peck

2. What is a decubitus ulcer?
A decubitus ulcer, also commonly known as a bedsore comes about from lying in one position for too long.
This prevents circulation from getting to your skin, causing pressure.
This in turn, causes a decubitus ulcer.
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3. Who is at risk for Decubitus Ulcers?
It is most common to see elderly people in nursing homes get decubitus ulcers, due to the fact that they lay in a bed practically all day or sit in the same position daily.
Smokers (dries out skin and reduces the blood flow to skin)
Anorexic people (less padding on their bones and it can injure more easily and take longer to heal)

4. What causes Decubitus Ulcers?
Malnutrition
Improper skin care
Being Incontinent
Friction
Failure to move a patient frequently (in a nursing home)
Failure to exercise

5. Common Homes for Decubitus Ulcers
Hips (laying on your side)
Tailbones (laying on your back)
Shoulders (laying on your side or resting your shoulders on the back of a wheelchair)
Backs of arms or legs (Leaning on the wheelchair)
Back or side of head(Laying on your back or laying on your side)

6. Stage 1 Symptoms Stage 1 Skin is intact.
Skin may be red on a paler person.
Skin may appear bluish on darker skinned people.
The skin that is affected may be more painful, warmer, softer, or cooler than the surrounding skin. T

7. Stage 2 Symptoms Stage 2-Open wound
The epidermis (outer layer of skin) and the dermis (underlying layer of skin) are both damaged or lost.
May appear as a shallow, pinkish-red, basin-like wound
May appear as a ruptured fluid-filled blister

8. Stage 3 Symptoms Stage 3-Deep wound
Fat is exposed due to the loss of skin
Crater-like in appearance
Bottom of ulcer has some yellowish colored dead tissue

9. Stage 4 Symptoms May expose bone, muscle, or tendons
Stage 4-Large Scale loss of tissue
May expose bone, muscle, or tendons
The bottom of the ulcer contains yellowish or dark colored dead tissue that is crusty

10. Treating Decubitus ulcers
Relieve the pressure that caused the sore to start with
Reposition the person
Use support surfaces such as pillows and mattresses to help the person lie in an appropriate position
Remove the damaged tissue
Surgical Debridement: removing dead tissue surgically
Mechanical Debridement: removing dead tissue using things such as a whirlpool
Autolytic Debridement- the body’s natural way of removing dead tissue
Enzymatic Debridement-removing dead tissue using chemical enzymes
Clean and dress the wound regularly
The way you dress and clean the wound depends on what stage is it in.

11. Other ways to treat decubitus ulcers
Antibiotics
Healthy diet
Muscle relaxants
If your decubitus ulcers do not heal after taking the treatment measures just mentioned, your doctor may give you muscle relaxants, antibiotics, or tell you to go on a healthy diet to help treat your ulcers.

12. How to prevent Decubitus Ulcers from forming again?
Keeping your skin clean and dry prevents moisture.
Changing position every two hours prevents you from putting pressure on one spot for too long.
Using pillows and other products can help prevent sores by being a cushion for your body.
Keeping skin clean and dry
Changing position every two hours
Using pillows and products that relieve pressure

13. Facts/Statistics
In 2010, pressure ulcers were the primary diagnosis in approximately 45,000 hospital admissions.
Pressure ulcers were a secondary diagnosis in about 457,800 hospital admissions last year.
The primary diagnoses left 1 dead in every 25 patients.
The secondary diagnoses left 1 dead in every 8 patients.

14. Works Cited