Pressure injuries are a complication that causes considerable problems not only for those who are affected, but also for others who are close to them and for personnel. Caring for people with pressure injuries represents a challenge for the health service in the form of increased costs.

A pressure injury is defined as follows:

”A pressure injury is a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, resulting from sustained pressure (including pressure associated with shear). A number of confounding factors are also associated with pressure injury; the primary of which are impaired mobility and impaired sensory perception”.

(EPUAP, NPUAP, PPPIA, 2014 p. 38-39)

A large number of risk factors have been described for the occurrence of pressure injuries. Whether or not a pressure injury occurs is determined by a combination of various risk factors together with external pressure.

Some of the documented patient-related risk factors are: activity capacity, reduced mobility, advanced age, reduced general health, incontinence, acute illness, neurological conditions, cardiovascular disease, terminal stage illness and previous pressure injuries.

External causes, known as environment-related risk factors, are the effect of pressure, shearing, friction, moisture and heat (microclimate).