Volume 29, Issue 160, June 2025

The impact of nutritional support in treating decubitus ulcers (bedsores)

Bartosz Zieliński^1♦, Karol Mateusz Wojnarowski¹, Justyna Gręda¹, Anna Klasa², Filip Maj³

¹St. Alexander Hospital in Kielce, Poland
²The University Hospital in Krakow, Poland
³Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Bartosz Zieliński, St. Alexander Hospital in Kielce, Poland

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores, are localized wounds affecting the skin and underlying tissues. They result from prolonged pressure, friction, or shear. There are different ways to treat pressure ulcers. One way is to give patients extra protein, vitamins like zinc and selenium, and special diets with a lot of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This review looks at how vital nutritional support is in preventing and treating pressure ulcers and how it can be used with new technologies. Combining the findings of studies done between 2019 and 2024, this review finds out what works and still needs to be researched. Results: Special diets have been shown to improve wound healing in certain groups of people significantly. EPA-enriched enteral diets have been shown to reduce ulcer incidence by reducing inflammation and improving blood flow. Conclusions: It is clear that nutritional support plays a crucial but complicated role in treating pressure ulcers. Special diets with EPA or selenium can help with wounds in high-risk groups, but they must be part of a wider care plan that uses cutting-edge technology to get the best results.

Keywords: Pressure ulcers, nutritional support, protein supplementation, wound healing

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e93ms3597

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i160.e93ms3597

Published: 27 June 2025