Pressure injuries arise when sustained pressure and shear overcome tissue tolerance, often starting with non-blanchable erythema before deeper structures are involved.
Moisture, friction, poor perfusion, and sensory impairment accelerate insult. Early cues include localized pain, temperature difference, or subtle discoloration on darker skin tones.
Prevention targets duration and magnitude of loading—through surfaces, repositioning, footwear and device padding, and correcting systemic factors when possible.