Bedsores, also called pressure sores or pressure ulcers, are injuries to skin and underlying tissues that result from prolonged pressure on the skin. Bedsores most often develop on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as the heel, ankles, hips or buttocks. Those at risk are those with limited mobility confining them to a bed or wheel chair. If your loved one show symtoms of bedsore in a nursing home, contact a personal injury lawyer experienced in these types of injuries. Taking legal action can help ensure the elderly are protected for negligent care.
Bedsores can develop quickly and are often difficult to treat. Several care strategies can help prevent some bedsores and promote healing
Stages of Bedsores
Stage I
The beginning stage of a bedsores has the following characteristics:
- The skin is intact.
- The skin appears red on people with lighter skin color, and the skin doesn’t briefly lighten (blanch) when touched.
- On people with darker skin, there may be no change in the color of the skin, and the skin doesn’t blanch when touched. Or the skin may appear ashen, bluish or purple.
- The site may be painful, firm, soft, warmer or cooler compared with the surrounding skin.
Stage II
The stage II ulcer is an open wound:
- The outer layer of skin (epidermis) and part of the underlying layer of skin (dermis) is damaged or lost.
- The pressure ulcer may appear as a shallow, pinkish-red, basin-like wound.
- It may also appear as an intact or ruptured fluid-filled blister.
Stage III
At this stage, the ulcer is a deep wound:
- The loss of skin usually exposes some amount of fat.
- The ulcer has a crater-like appearance.
- The bottom of the wound may have some yellowish dead tissue (slough).
- The damage may extend beyond the primary wound below layers of healthy skin.
Stage IV
A stage IV ulcer exhibits large-scale loss of tissue:
- The wound may expose muscle, bone and tendons.
- The bottom of the wound likely contains slough or dark, crusty dead tissue (eschar).
- The damage often extends beyond the primary wound below layers of healthy skin.
Common sites of Bedsores
For people who use a wheelchair, bedsores often occur on skin over the following sites:
- Tailbone or buttocks
- Shoulder blades and spine
- Backs of arms and legs where they rest against the chair
For people who are confined to a bed, common bedsores sites include the following:
- Back or sides of the head
- Rim of the ears
- Shoulders or shoulder blades
- Hip, lower back or tailbone
- Heels, ankles and skin behind the knees
When to see a doctor
Inspection of the skin should be a part of routine nursing or home care for anyone who is confined for a long time to a wheelchair or bed or for anyone who has limited ability to reposition himself or herself. Contact your doctor right away if you notice any signs or symptoms of a bedsores. Get immediate medical care if a person under your care shows signs of infection, such as fever, drainage or foul odor from a sore, or increased heat and redness in the surrounding skin.
Complications of bedsores include:
- Sepsis. Sepsis occurs when bacteria enters your bloodstream through the broken skin and spreads throughout your body — a rapidly progressing, life-threatening condition that can cause organ failure.
- Cellulitis. This acute infection of your skin’s connective tissue causes pain, redness and swelling, all of which can be severe. Cellulitis can also lead to life-threatening complications, including sepsis and meningitis — an infection of the membrane and fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord.
- Bone and joint infections. These develop when the infection from a pressure sore burrows deep into your joints and bones. Joint infections (septic or infectious arthritis) can damage cartilage and tissue, and bone infections (osteomyelitis) may reduce the function of your joints and limbs.
- Cancer. Another complication is the development of a type of squamous cell carcinoma that develops in chronic, nonhealing wounds (Marjolin ulcer). This type of cancer is aggressive and usually requires surgical treatment.
Bedsores do not sound as bad as they look. The average person will grimace as they look away from photos on the injury. To add insult to injury, it is the elderly who’s care is charge to a nursing home who are most often the victim. If your loved one developed bedsores while in a nursing home, contact the Clore Law Group today.
