Nutritional treatment in pressure and venous ulcers

Pressure and venous ulcers are common in adults and the elderly. In Chile, 70% of chronic wounds correspond to venous ulcers and the prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospitalized patients is 28%. The aim of this review was to analyze the available evidence regarding the nutritional treatment of individuals with pressure and venous ulcers. These ulcers have different etiologies, but both produce an increase in energy, protein, and micronutrient requirements. The healing of wounds depends on several factors such as the type of ulcer, nutritional status, current co-morbidities, healing type and medical treatment. Nutritional therapy should be based on weight maintenance or gain of these patients, adequate administration of proteins and energy supplementation, or protein or micronutrients when a deficiency occurs.