Bed Sore FAQ » Bed Sore FAQ: Common Areas for Bed Sores | Decubitus Ulcers | Pressure Sores

Are Bed Sores Inevitable For Obese Patients In Nursing Homes & Hospitals?

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:46:12 +0000

An article published in the Las Vegas Sun, painted an unfortunately common set of circumstances; an overweight patient goes into a hospital for a medical procedure– only to acquire pressure sores during their stay. Sure, the same scenario can (and most certainly does) occur with people of average stature, but there definitely is a disproportionate number of obese patients who enter a hospital or nursing home only to develop a lingering souvenir.

The sun article concentrates on 60-year-old Tyrone Bush, a maintenance man, who was admitted to Desert Springs Hospital for a quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2008. It was during Bush’s recovery at the hospital, that he developed multiple bed sores (or pressure sores, pressure ulcers, decubitus ulcers) on his buttocks.

More than two years later, Mr. Bush continues to be plagued from the wounds and requires extensive medical treatment for them including doctors visits and debridement procedures– where the dead skin is removed to allow the new skin to grow over the open wounds.

Not surprisingly, the hospital where the wounds developed blames the wounds on Mr. Bush himself, implying that the wounds were unpreventable given his size.

What is surgical debridement of bed sores?

Simple preventative techniques can drastically reduce the rate of hospital-acquired decubitus ulcers

Why is it important to differentiate the type of facility where a bed sore developed?

Nursing Home Injury Laws: Nevada

Medical Facilities Are Not Doing Enough To Prevent Pressure Ulcers On Patients’ Heels

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:53:04 +0000

The physical make up of the foot also makes the treatment of heel pressure sores difficult for the facility and particularly disabling for the patient. The calcaneus is the largest bone in the foot, yet covered be relatively little muscle making it particularly susceptible to damage from unrelieved pressure.

Even relatively young and healthy patients in nursing homes and hospitals are at risk for developing pressure sores on their heels because many staff in nursing homes and hospitals are simply unaware of the potential risk and commonly used bed sore risk assessments may not take into consideration elements unique to heel pressure sores.

In particular, patients with suffering from hip and leg fractures are at risk, along with patients in intensive care who may have compromised blood pressure due to trauma are at an increased risk for developing pressure sores on the heels. Facilities need to be focused on these groups of patients — and any patient with limited mobility, as they remain at risk for developing heel, foot and ankle pressure ulcers.

Are bed sores on the heels common?

Why are physically disabled patients at risk for developing bed sores?

Who Said Nursing Care Was Easy? The Prevention Of Bed Sores Requires Staff To Turn & Reposition Patients On A Regular Basis

Threat Of Stiff Fines Still Fails To Reduce Rate Of Pressure Sores At Some Nursing Homes

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:48:09 +0000

When nursing homes take simple, preventative steps such as: turning patients, keeping them clean, and providing adequate nutrition and hydration; they can greatly decrease the incidence of pressure sores at their facilities. However, even though the preventative steps are well known, many nursing facilities simply fail to implement the necessary care that patients require to function optimally.

I was particularly disturbed when I came across an article in the Arizona Daily Star regarding a Kindred-owned nursing home that has been repeatedly failed to provide sufficient wound care for its patients. In fact, Villa Campana Health Care Center was most recently fined by state authorities $10,000 following a horrific chain of events involving a patient who was admitted to the facility last fall.

Within a month of entering Villa Campana, a patient developed a pressure sore on their buttocks. Despite the staff’s documentation of the wound, little care was provided at the wound progressed to the point that bone was involved and an infection known as osteomyelitis ensued. Eventually, the patient required multiple surgeries to treat the advanced pressure sore including a debridement surgery to remove portions of the coccyx, sacrum and surrounding tissue.

Can bed sores cause osteomyelitis?

If bed sores are not timely treated, can gangrene develop?

Nursing Home Injury Laws: Arizona

What is surgical debridement of bed sores?

Why are patients recovering from a hip fracture susceptible to develop pressure ulcers?

admin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:08:04 +0000

Almost 45% of patients recovering from a hip fracture will develop some type of pressure ulcer (similarly referred to as: bed sore, pressure sore or decubitus ulcer) during their recovery.

The primary areas where patients recovering from a hip fracture develop pressure ulcers are on their hips (usually the non-operated side) and their heels.

There may be several explanations why patients with hip fractures may develop pressure ulcers, but studies consistently point towards immobility and the lack of preventative measures implemented by medical personnel.

Pressure ulcers on the heels can develop in patients with hip fractures due to the fact that there can be decreased circulation in the legs following a fracture and surgery. Additionally, many patients recovering from a hip fracture may be administered pain medications that limit their ability to perceived pressure in the area.

Medical facilities including nursing homes and hospitals, should be aware of the risks associated with the development of pressure sores in this particular group of patients and implement care accordingly. Regular body scans in use of pressure relieving boots are just several measure facilities can take to minimize a patients risk of developing pressure ulcers on their heels.

Are bed sores on the heels common?

Podiatry Care In Nursing Homes? A Necessity For Many Patients With Foot Injuries & Complications

Where are bed sores most likely to form?

Bed Sore Prevention May Require Nursing Homes To Obtain Pressure Relieving Devices For Their Patients

Why are physically disabled patients at risk for developing bed sores?

Bed Sores Continue To Plague Nursing Home & Hospital Patients In All Demographics

admin — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:36:08 +0000

Although the news regarding the horrific physical and emotional impact of bed sores (also called decubitus ulcers, pressures sores or pressure ulcers) surely is on all respectable medical professionals radar screens, bed sores in nursing homes and hospitals continue to plague individuals in all demographics. In order to improve patient care, bed sore prevention must be a priority at all nursing homes and hospitals.

Should a bed sore develop, staff must be diligent in identifying the wound as quickly as possible an implement the use of medical equipment such as pressure relieving mattresses and other pressure relief devices such as heel protectors to prevent the wounds from advancing.

Nursing Homes With Higher Percentage Of Hispanic Residents Have Higher Rate Of Bed Sores

Hospital Acquired Pressure Sores Are Devastating Source Of Patient Injury & Death

Are there any federal regulations that apply to the prevention of bed sores?

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers: Pressure Sore Injury

Why is it common for nursing home and hospital patients to develop bed sores on their back?

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:03:36 +0000

Few medical conditions graphically illustrate neglect, the way that bed sores do. Particularly in patients who develop bed sores on their back, many of these cases represent a medical facilities failure to provide the common sense medical care such as re-positioning patients in bed.

Keeping patients in one position for long periods of time is part of the problem. Bed sores are prone to develop in any area of the body where pressure develops as a result of the bodies contact with surfaces or objects. Because many nursing home and hospital patients have limited mobility and may spend a good deal of time in bed, pressure may build, and go unrelieved– in many different areas of the back.

Patients who are malnourished or frail are at particular risk for developing bed sores (also called: decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores) because there is less cushion provided by muscle and fat to dispense of the pressure put on the body. Bony areas of the back such as the: shoulder blades, spine, head and sacrum are the most common areas of the back where bed sores area prone to develop.

Medical facilities should take note of their patients who are at higher risk for developing bed sores and implement preventative techniques such as: turning, off-loading and the use of medical equipment such as pressure relieving mattresses.

Are bed sores on the heels common?

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:18:04 +0000

Yes. Call them what you’d like bed sore, pressure sores or decubitus ulcer on heels are the second most common area for bed sores to develop (after the buttock or coccyx area). Particularly in the bed-bound population, patients are susceptible to developing bed sores on their heels due to the inherent bony prominences and thin tissue covering the heels. These physical features of heels can result in the rapid accumulation of pressure that may result in decreased blood flow, break-down of tissue and subsequent development of decubitus.

Another complicating factor that can make bed sores on the heels difficult to diagnose and treat is that many non-ambulatory patients have peripheral neuropathy, that may result in decreased sensation in the heel area. The decreased sensation and diminished ability to perceive pain may result in a delay in treatment.

Given the inherent risk of developing bed sores on heels and ankles, medical facilities should regularly examine patients who are at risk. In addition to encouraging patients to be active (if possible), staff in nursing homes and hospitals should provide pressure relieving devices such as: boots, heel protectors, pressure relieving mattresses or even pillows to help alleviate pressure on the heal area.

When bed sores on heels are not timely treated, complications such as gangrene and osteomyelitis may develop. Depending on the severity of the wound, common treatments include surgical debridement and possibly amputation of the foot or leg.

Below is an example of heel protectors:

Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entry:

A Graphic Example Of Nursing Home Negligence: Amputation Of A Leg Due To Untreated Bed Sores

What areas of the body are prone to develop bed sores?

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:29:51 +0000

Bed sores can develop in any area of the body where pressure is continually applied without relief. Most frequently, we see bed sores in areas of the body that bear a majority of a person’s body weight when they sit or lay in one position for long periods of time such as:

Buttocks
Sacrum
Heels
Back

In addition predominate weight-bearing areas, bed sores (also called: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) can develop in any area of the body where constant pressure against the skin reduces the blood supply to that area, and the affected tissue dies.

Although less common, bed sores can develop in other areas such as:

The back of the head
Elbows
Shoulders
Ears
Ankles