Pressure Ulcers: How to Care for Them...

I found this article on www.howtocare.com a great resource for home healthcare professionals or family and friends taking on the care of a loved one. 

Pressure Ulcers or bed sores are painful skin ulcers that form when constant pressure on a part of the body shuts down the blood vessels feeding that area of skin. The resulting damage first appears on the skin surface as a red or dark patch. As the pressure sore progresses, the skin will break down to form blisters, dead skin, and ultimately infect underlying tissues, bones and joints. As little as two hours of sustained pressure will trigger skin damage. Skin damage can also be exacerbated by friction and moisture. The surface damage is just the tip of the iceberg; the real damage lies beneath the skin.

In the early stages, pressure sores can be treated at home by relieving the pressure, cleaning the sores and applying the appropriate dressing. In the later stages of severity, professional medical treatment, possibly, surgery, will be necessary. Pressure sores are especially prevalent on the lower back and buttocks, and on bony protruding areas, such as shoulders, hips, knees, heels and ankles. People who are bed-bound or in wheelchairs are particularly susceptible.

Things You Should Know

Pressure ulcers

• are caused by pressure, friction and moisture
• prolong the amount of time a person spends in the hospital
• increase risk of infection
• increase mortality
• represent an extra $10,000 a year in medical and nursing care costs, per person

Risk Factors for Pressure Sores

• age
• immobility
• incontinence
• malnutrition and dehydration
• diseases and disorders that slow healing or lessen mental awareness
• diseases and disorders such as confusion or dementia that lessen mental awareness and may prevent a person from feeling the discomfort of a harmful body position
• medications, particularly sedatives

Things to Look For

Warning signs of pressure ulcers

• discoloured, torn or swollen skin, especially over bony areas
• signs of infection — skin warmth, swelling, odour, pus
• Seek professional care & treatment immediately for sores that are getting worse, not

healing or showing signs of infection.

Four stages of severity of pressure ulcers  

1. reddened or darkened skin that will not turn white when firmly pressed
2. partial skin loss that may appear as an abrasion, blister or shallow crater
3. full skin loss extending to underlying tissue
4. full skin loss extending beyond the underlying tissue to muscle and bone

If a stage 2 -4 ulcer develops there is a product on the market that will heal the wound quickly without painful debridement.  Check out www.newmedisolutions.com DermaWound is an amazing product.  It works!