Skin ulcers of elderly surgical patients in critical care units.

The problem of skin ulcers in elderly surgical patients in critical care units is a serious one. Patients with skin ulcers suffer from pain, disfigurement, immobility, septicemia, and sometimes death. Critical care nurses can provide preventive techniques by understanding the complex relationship among the variables causing skin ulcers in elderly patients. The authors describe the variables most related to skin ulcers in elderly surgical patients.