Last update:
27-Sep-2017

Pressure ulcers (PU) are common in hospitalized patients and they are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pathophysiological mechanisms by which they develop have not been fully clarified, but it appears that unrelieved pressures on the skin and the underlying tissue, in combination with other local and systemic factors, play the key role. Nutrition undoubtedly represents a principal systemic factor in PU formation, and also possibly in their healing. This is a review of epidemiological and clinical studies which emphasize the importance of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of PU.

Key words: Nutrition, Pressure ulcer, Wound.