Can pressure sores be prevented?
It is much easier to prevent a pressure sore than it is to heal one that has already started. Take care to protect your skin from friction, shearing and other stress. Do not massage (rub) the skin over bony areas. Other ways to protect the skin include: • Check your skin several times a day. Check for redness over bony areas and areas that support a lot of body weight. These areas may include the elbows, heels, buttocks (rear-end), ankles, and hips. You can do this yourself with a mirror, or have someone look for you. • Keep your skin dry. Moisture from sweating, wound drainage, or urine can increase the risk of skin damage. You may need to use underpads or briefs that are made of materials that soak up moisture. Underpads, briefs, bedclothes, sheets, and other materials that are next to the skin should be changed often. These items should also be changed right away after becoming wet, such as with BM or urine. Moisture barrier products can help protect areas of skin that are exposed t
Pressure Sores Printer-friendly version Email this article Spanish / Español What are pressure sores? Pressure sores are areas of injured skin and tissue. They are usually caused by sitting or lying in one position for too long. This puts pressure on certain areas of the body. The pressure can reduce the blood supply to the skin and the tissues under the skin. When a change in position doesn’t occur often enough and the blood supply gets too low, a sore may form. Pressure sores are also called bed sores, pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers. Return to top Are pressure sores serious? Pressure sores can be serious, depending on how much the skin and tissues have been damaged. You should call your doctor if you think a sore is forming. Mild damage causes the skin to be discolored, but a sore doesn’t form. In light-skinned people, the damaged skin may turn dark purple or red. In dark-skinned people, the area may become darker than normal. The area of damaged skin may also feel warmer than
The most important step to prevent pressure sores is to avoid prolonged pressure on one part of your body, especially the pressure points mentioned previously. It’s also important to keep your skin healthy. Keep your skin clean and dry. Use a mild soap (like Dove, Basis or Oil of Olay) and warm (not hot) water. Apply moisturizers so your skin doesn’t get too dry. If you must spend a lot of time in bed or in a wheelchair, check your whole body every day for spots, color changes or other signs of sores. Pay special attention to the pressure points where sores are most likely to occur.
The technique of dimensional analysis is applied to the study of allowable or safe external pressures and the effects of external loading on skin blood flow. These results and those of blood studies in able-bodied subjects and in spinal-cord-injured patients with and without problems of recurrent pressure sores are considered from the standpoint of preventing the occurrence of sores.
Sacks, A.H. Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 1989. Images of the Twenty-First Century., Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Volume , Issue , 9-12 Nov 1989 Page(s):1479 – 1480 vol.5 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/IEMBS.1989.96298 Summary:The technique of dimensional analysis is applied to the study of allowable or safe external pressures and the effects of external loading on skin blood flow. These results and those of blood studies in able-bodied subjects and in spinal-cord-injured patients with and without problems of recurrent pressure sores are considered from the standpoint of preventing the occurrence of sores.
