Seventy Percent of Pressure Ulcers, also known as Decubitus Ulcers, Pressure Sores or Bed Sores Occur In Elders and Dependant Adults

Written by Adam Peck Category: Nursing Homes January 23rd, 2013 2 min read

Pressure ulcers, also known as decubitus ulcers, bedsores, or pressure sores, range in severity from reddening of the skin to severe craters with exposed muscle or bone.

Pressure ulcers significantly threaten the well-being of patients with limited mobility.

Approximately 70 percent of ulcers occur in individuals older than 65 years, but younger patients with neurologic impairment or severe illness are also susceptible says California Elder Abuse Lawyer Steven Peck.

Prevalence rates range from 4.7 to 32.1 percent in hospital settings and from 8.5 to 22 percent in nursing homes.

Pressure ulcers are caused by unrelieved pressure applied with great force over a short period of time or less force over a longer period that disrupts blood supply to the capillary network, depriving tissues of oxygen and nutrients. The most common sites for pressure ulcers are the sacrum, heels, ischial tuberosities, greater trochanters, and lateral malleoli.

Tissues are capable of withstanding enormous pressures when brief in duration, but prolonged exposure to pressures slightly above capillary filling pressure leads to ischemia and ulceration. According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, pressure sores typically develop in four stages:

Stage I: Intact skin with non-blanchable redness of a localized area usually over a bony prominence. Darkly pigmented skin may not have visible blanching; its color may differ from the surrounding area.

Stage II: Partial thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shallow open ulcer with a red-pink wound bed, without slough. May also present as an intact or open/ruptured serum-filled blister.

Stage III: Full thickness tissue loss. Subcutaneous fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed. Slough may be present but does not obscure the depth of tissue loss. May include undermining and tunneling.

Stage IV: Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle. Slough or eschar may be present on some parts of the wound bed. Often include undermining and tunneling.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.