Decubitus ulcers.

Decubitus ulcers are frequently encountered in the elderly and in bedridden or wheelchair-bound patients. Successful treatment is often difficult and expensive. Pressure, time, and friction are the major factors involved in the development of skin ulcers with such risk factors as age, female sex, and nutritional status predisposing to their development. Complications can be life threatening. A number of treatment modalities have been used over the years, but the mainstays of treatment include attention to preventive measures, relief of pressure over bony prominences, and debridement, following the basics of wound care.