What's a Heel Eschar?

Overview. Eschar, pronounced es-CAR, is dead tissue that sheds or falls off from the skin. It's commonly seen with pressure ulcer wounds (bedsores). Eschar is typically tan, brown, or black, and may be crusty. Wounds are classified into stages based on how deep they are and how much skin tissue is affected.

What is debridement of heel eschar?

This is a type of debridement where devitalized tissue (slough, necrotic, or eschar) in the presence of underlying infection is removed using sharp instruments such as a scalpel, Metzenbaum, curettes, among others.

Will an eschar fall off?

Dark patches of dead skin on the wound surface might be alarming to an individual who is recuperating from a burn wound or diabetic ulcer, but this tissue is a normal part of the healing process. In many cases, eschar may not even need to be removed – it will naturally fall off on its own.