What risks are associated with the causes or development of bedsores or pressure sores?

A: Pressure sores are more likely to occur when the person or patient is:

    •    Immobilized by acute illness, injury or sedation (even if it's for a brief time such as after an operation or accident).

    •    Living with long-term spinal cord injuries (because nerve damage from spinal cord injuries is often permanent, the compression of skin and other tissues is ongoing).

    •    Exposed to aggravating factors that include thinning or atrophied skin and decreased circulation, both of which make tissue damage more likely and healing more difficult. In the case of a patient with spinal cord injuries, he or she is at a higher risk because the nature of their injuries reduces or eliminates sensation, thereby preventing him or her from receiving body signals that often indicate to the person that he or she should shift their position or, conversely, that a sore is developing.