Health Guide Articles

Advice on Silent Epidemic of Pressure Ulcers (Bedsores)

September 27, 2011 By Hunterdon Healthcare

Hunterdon Wound Healing Center Offers Advice on Silent Epidemic

There is a hidden epidemic that is affecting five percent more people
each year as it strikes up to 4.5 million times.  Yet no one talks about
it.  Pressure ulcers are no longer referred to as bedsores but the name
change hasn’t encouraged discussion about these wounds that develop
when there is prolonged pressure between the skin and bone.

“An aging population along with rising rates of diabetes and obesity
mean more and more people are at risk for pressure ulcers,” explains
Priti Gujar, M.D., Medical Director of the Hunterdon Wound Healing
Center.  Dr. Gujar went on to say, “It is important to become informed
and know how to prevent them and how to treat them so that they do not
get worse and more difficult to cure.”

Pressure ulcers occur when a person remains in one position for too
long without shifting his or her weight, which decreases the blood
supply to the area causing skin and tissue to break down.  If not
properly treated, these areas may evolve into wounds that can extend
down to bone.

The primary treatment is to relieve or reduce the pressure.  Additional
care may also involve removing the non-living tissue from around the
wound with surgical instruments or with newly developed dressings and
chemicals.

The first visible sign of a pressure ulcer may be a red area on the
skin that doesn’t fade or, for those with darker complexions,
persistent areas of red, blue or purple with a different skin
temperature or texture.

In addition to the elderly and people with diabetes, others at risk are
those with limited mobility, poor nutrition, incontinence and conditions
that prevent blood flow and cause lack of sensation.

The experts at the Hunterdon Wound Healing Center offer these tips:
?        Change your position every 15 minutes when sitting and at least
every two hours in bed.
?        Donut-type pillows can harm tissue.  Purchase commercially
available pressure reducing cushions and mattresses but avoid those that
resemble egg crate foam.
?        Place a pillow under your calves to prevent your heels from
touching the bed and using pillows and foam wedges to keep ankles and
knees apart.
?        In treating incontinence, cleanse skin and use a topical
moisture barrier.  Avoid using plastic-backed linen-saving devices or
diapers.
?        Use mild soaps and water when bathing and apply skin
moisturizers to prevent dryness.
?        If confined to bed, do not raise the head of the bed more than
30 degrees and use an overhead trapeze to assist in movement.
?        Seek medical treatment if ulcers show warning signs of infection
including increased pain at the wound site, redness or swelling
spreading away from the wound, a foul wound odor, change in color or
amount of drainage from the wound or if you experience chills, nausea or
vomiting.

For more information about treating or preventing pressure ulcers and
other chronic wounds, call the Hunterdon Wound Healing Center at 908-
237-6950.

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