Improving outcome of pressure ulcers with nutritional interventions: a review of the evidence

Pressure ulcers and malnutrition frequently co-exist in frail patients. Nutritional parameters have been correlated with development and with healing in chronic pressure ulcers, leading to suggestions that improving nutritional status can prevent or treat pressure ulcers. Despite a strong association, a causal relationship of poor nutritional status to development of pressure ulcers has not been established. Support for a causal relationship would include evidence that nutritional interventions improve general nutritional status, acute wound healing, or chronic wound healing. The data suggesting that nutritional intervention can improve clinical outcome are limited. No study has demonstrated that improvement in nutritional status can prevent pressure ulcers. There is at least suggestive evidence that improvement in nutritional status can improve outcome in pressure ulcer healing.