Pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers are an injury that breaks down the skin and underlying tissue. They are caused when an area of skin is placed under pressure.

They are sometimes known as “bedsores” or “pressure sores”.

Pressure ulcers can range in severity from patches of discoloured skin to open wounds that expose the underlying bone or muscle.

Read more about the symptoms of pressure ulcers.

Symptoms

The parts of the body most at risk of developing pressure ulcers are those that are not covered by a large amount of body fat and are in direct contact with a supporting surface, such as a bed or a wheelchair.

For example, if you are unable to get out of bed, you are at risk of developing pressure ulcers on your:

shoulders or shoulder blades elbows back of your head rims of your ears knees, ankles, heels or toes spine tail bone (the small bone at the bottom of your spine)

If you are a wheelchair user, you are at risk of developing pressure ulcers on:

your buttocks the back of your arms and legs the back of your hip bone