6 Common Causes of Bed Sores - A Series
Beginning on Monday, June 7, 2010, Jonathon Rosenfeld and I will do a series of blog entries on 6 common factors that result in bed sores. Bed sores are devastating injuries that commonly affect elderly residents in nursing homes and hospitals. In most cases, bed sores can be prevented. However, prevention measures take time, patience, and persistence, all of which require attentive caregivers. All too often, nursing home owners are unwilling to provide the budget necessary to have a sufficient staff that can tend to the needs of nursing home residents, including measures necessary to prevent the development of bed sores.
The six factors that we will address are:
(1) Dehydration
(2) Nutrition
(3) Incontinence/cleanliness
(4) Contractures
(5) Turning and repositioning
(6) Lack of pressure relieving devices
Throughout this blog series, bed sores may be referred to as pressure sores, pressure ulcers, and decubitus ulcers. Keep in mind that each of those terms are usually used interchangeably when discussing bed sores. Bed sores are typically discussed by stages. Stage 1 is the earliest stage of a bed sore and the easiest to correct. Essentially, a Stage 1 bed sore presents as a red spot on the skin, usually over a bony prominence. Stage 2 bed sores usually present as a shallow open wound with a pink bed. If caught quickly, Stage 2 bed sores can easily be healed. A Stage 3 bed sore is an open wound where subcutaneous fat can be visualized. While a Stage 3 wound can have tunneling and undermining, bone and tendons are typically not yet visible. Stage 4 bed sores are the most serious and most difficult to heal. With a Stage 4 bed sore, one can often see the bone in addition to tunneling, eschar and slough. For pictures and more information on bed sores in general, visit the Terry Law Firm website here or Jonathon Rosenfeld's Nursing Home Abuse blog here.
