[Pressure sores: knowledge of risk factors and awareness of problems with quality of care as reflected by questionnaire answers by nursing staff and physicians].

A number of risk factors for pressure sores are well known. However, their causal relationship with the development of pressure sores is ambiguous. In fact, there is varying awareness of the problems in nursing staff and physicians caused by its' complexity and sometimes unclear evidence-even in standards and guidelines. In the present investigation, 256 members of a nursing staff and 245 physicians were asked by questionnaire about risk factors for pressure sores and problems with quality of care. The results revealed different views of the pathophysiology of pressure sores and also problems in the quality of care. There was agreement about the urgent need of consideration of these topics in education and postgraduate training.