The treatment of decubitus ulcers: a century of misinformation in the textbooks

Decubitus ulcers are slow healing; in many cases they stagnate and fail to heal. Examination of the literature concerning decubitus ulcers reveals that there is a large body of treatments which have been suggested to stimulate the healing wound. This study examines the clinical effectiveness of the various treatments, and the scientific basis behind them. The treatments currently available are compared with those discussed in the literature over the last century, and common threads emerge which have a bearing on how literally one should accept the advice offered in current textbooks.