Bedsores, also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are a breakdown and ulceration of tissue due to a combination of the weight of the body on the surface of the skin and the friction of a resistant surface such as a bed. Areas where bony prominences are less padded by muscle and fat, such as the hip bones, tailbone and heels of the feet, are most susceptible to bedsores. Non-mobile patients are vulnerable to the formation pressure sores when left lying for long periods of time in the same prone position.
A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, and David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (11/22/2011).