Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are pressure ulcers unpreventable?

A: In most cases pressure ulcers are preventable with proper nursing care. By turning and repositioning patients, providing for their proper nutrition, and keeping the patient's skin clean and dry most pressure sores are preventable. In fact the Federal nursing home regulations state that a patient who is admitted to a nursing home should not develop a pressure sore unless it is unpreventable. Kenneth Olshanky, M.D., a well respected plastic surgeon in Richmond, Virginia, writes that "[t]he incidence of pressure ulcers is related directly to the care given by the nursing staff." He explains that health care providers must quit blaming the patients for developing pressures sores. "The sicker and more at risk the patient, the harder we must work to prevent ulcers. ... The time has come to be honest. A patient develops a pressure ulcer because, at some point, he or she had inadequate pressure relief." Advances in Wound Care 22 (2):90. More recently, a study found that following recommended procedures can reduce pressure ulcers by 70%. You are invited to go to our library to learn more.