THE TREATMENT OF DECUBITUS ULCERS - A CENTURY OF MISINFORMATION IN THE TEXTBOOKS

Decubitus ulcers are slow healing; in many cases they stagnate and fai l to heal. Examination of the literature concerning decubitus ulcers r eveals that there is a large body of treatments which have been sugges ted to stimulate the healing wound. This study examines the clinical e ffectiveness of the various treatments, and the scientific basis behin d them. The treatments currently available are compared with those dis cussed in the literature over the last century, and common threads eme rge which have a bearing on how literally one should accept the advice offered in current textbooks.