In part one of this two-part article, the authors discuss the aetiology of pressure ulcers, the means of identifying those patients at risk, the range of clinical intervention strategies implemented to try and prevent their formation and the problems faced by clinicians in developing cost-effective solutions to pressure ulcer prevention. Part two will set out the scientific evidence to support the use of dressing materials to prevent pressure damage, discuss the clinical realities faced by clinicians and explore if the use of wound dressing materials has any part in a modern pressure ulcer prevention strategy.
