Which term refers to skin breakdown caused by prolonged pressure?

• A. Decubitus ulcers
• B. Bedsores
• C. Venous ulcers
• D. Pressure ulcers

Answer: (D)

Prolonged pressure over a body area, especially over bony prominences, blocks blood flow, leading to tissue ischemia and eventually skin breakdown that can progress to an ulcer. This condition is named pressure ulcers in current clinical practice; the term conveys both the cause and the injury clearly and is the standard for documentation and communication. The other terms—decubitus ulcers and bedsores—are older or more colloquial ways to refer to the same problem, but they’re less precise in formal medical language. Venous ulcers, by contrast, come from chronic venous insufficiency and edema, not from pressure, so they describe a different mechanism.