Prevention of pressure sores: a topic for quality of care improvement.

Pressure sores (also called pressure ulcers, bedsores, or decubitus) are a serious and common but preventable medical problem, encountered mainly in hospitals. They occur most often in elderly and immobilized patients, e.g., at orthopedic wards, in patients with severe, acute illness (e.g., patients in intensive care units), and persons with neurological deficit, such as a spinal cord lesion. Pressure sores are localized areas of cellular necrosis that develop when skin and soft tissue are compressed between a bony prominence and a firm surface. They are classified according to their depth as follows: