Pressure ulcer risk factors

• Altered mental state

• Incontinence (both urinary and bowel)

• Immobility

• Shearing and friction forces

• Poor nutritional status and dehydration

• Skin changes due to aging

• Major surgery and/or use of anesthesia

• Previous formation of an ulcer

• Medications: steroids, diuretics, sedatives, and chemotherapeutic agents

• Chronic diseases: diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, neurological diseases, and immune deficiency problems