This is a painful experience for many disabled people, whose mobility is either permanently or even temporarily strongly reduced. The phenomenon is unfortunately, well known.
Those mostly concerned are hospital patients, accident casualties, elderly and handicapped persons, and premature infants in incubators.
Decubitus ulcers are caused by constant chronic pressure or shear forces, preventing proper blood circulation.
Unfortunately, they often appear simultaneously, especially on such parts of the body as: backbone, sitting-bone, heels, sacrum, shoulder blade, hipbone, and ankles.
Often moist-warm surroundings and secondary infections give rise to decubitus ulcers and extend rapidly in depth. Sinews, muscles and bones become infected which may cause life-threatening problems. Consequently, the treatment of decubitus ulcers has proven to be extremely lengthy and difficult.
The best prevention against decubitus is movement. For those who are unable to move an adequate pressure-relieving prophylaxis is to be prescribed but pressure relief is not enough, it has to be combined with stability to avoid shear forces.
Although soft, down-or foam-filled cushions do not have these properties.
