COVID-19 Patients Can Develop Pressure Ulcers

One of the sequelae that can affect patients who have spent time hospitalized in the ICU due to COVID-19 is the sacral ulcer, also called a pressure ulcer or pressure injury, and it can affect other regions of the body. It is a wound that appears when a person stays in the same position for too long. Areas of the body, especially those with bony prominences, that are supported, such as the back of the head, back, sides of the hip, coccyx, buttocks, elbows, and heels, are the most common areas for these lesions to develop.

It is also part of the plastic surgeon's job to treat this type of lesion to minimize complications, prevent infections, and accelerate the rehabilitation process.

Treatment can be done through daily cleaning and dressings, and even, depending on the severity of the lesion, may require surgical debridement and reconstruction with flaps for closure.

With ICUs overwhelmed with COVID-19, prolonged hospitalizations of critical patients increase the possibility of these pressure injuries arising, even in younger patients.

*Dr. Fernando Amato is a plastic surgeon, a full member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP), a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).