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<p>A pressure sore (also known as a pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, or bedsore) is an injury to the skin and underlying tissue, primarily caused by prolonged pressure on the skin. Anyone can get pressure sores, but they are more likely to affect people who are confined to bed or who sit in a chair or wheelchair for long periods of time.</p>
</p> Pressure sores usually begin as closed, red-colored wounds. Without effective treatment, they can progress into much more serious open wounds. There are four main stages of pressure sore, with Stage 4 being the most severe:</p>
</p> Stage 1/Stage I: the upper layer of skin is discolored and possibly painful to touch, but the wound has not yet opened.</p>
</p> Stage 2/Stage II: the discolored area has opened, creating a shallow, open wound or blister.</p>
</p> Stage 3/Stage III: the wound has completely broken through the top 2 layers of skin and into the fatty tissue below. It may resemble a crater, and there may be signs of infection (such as pus and a foul odor). </p>
</p> Stage 4/Stage IV: the wound has extended beyond the fatty tissue and into deep tissues such as muscle, tendons, and ligaments – sometimes as far down as the cartilage and bone. Dead skin tissue, muscle, and sometimes bone may be visible, and the skin may turn black.</p>
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<p>A pressure sore (also known as a pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, or bedsore) is an injury to the skin and underlying tissue, primarily caused by prolonged pressure on the skin. Anyone can get pressure sores, but they are more likely to affect people who are confined to bed or who sit in a chair or wheelchair for long periods of time.</p>
</p> Pressure sores usually begin as closed, red-colored wounds. Without effective treatment, they can progress into much more serious open wounds. There are four main stages of pressure sore, with Stage 4 being the most severe:</p>
</p> Stage 1/Stage I: the upper layer of skin is discolored and possibly painful to touch, but the wound has not yet opened.</p>
</p> Stage 2/Stage II: the discolored area has opened, creating a shallow, open wound or blister.</p>
</p> Stage 3/Stage III: the wound has completely broken through the top 2 layers of skin and into the fatty tissue below. It may resemble a crater, and there may be signs of infection (such as pus and a foul odor). </p>
</p> Stage 4/Stage IV: the wound has extended beyond the fatty tissue and into deep tissues such as muscle, tendons, and ligaments – sometimes as far down as the cartilage and bone. Dead skin tissue, muscle, and sometimes bone may be visible, and the skin may turn black.</p>
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