Pressure Sore Information
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What is a pressure sore?
Pressure sores, also known as bed sores or pressure ulcers, manifest as persistent red, blistered, broken or necrotic patches of skin that sometimes extend to underlying structures such as muscle or bone.
They are caused through pressure, shear, friction, moisture or a combination of all three and often occur in people who have been confined to a bed, chair or wheel chair, and patients who have undergone long operations.
It is the duty of medical professionals to fully assess and monitor the patient as well as follow simple steps:
- Regularly move the patient: This helps to relieve the pressure being placed on any one spot and increase the circulation of the patient.
- Regular bowl and bladder checks: A patient's skin can become irritated if moisture from urine, stool, or perspiration is left on the skin.
- Nutrition or Dehydration: If a patient has poor nutrition or dehydration, pressure sores are more likely to form.
Pressure sore risk assessments
As well as taking the basic care steps to reduce the risk of pressure sores, medical professionals should carry out additional risk assessments as requested by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.These assessments include:
- Assessment Scales: Although multiple scales exist, most medical professionals use the Braden Scale which is is made up of six subscales that measure the patient's sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, friction and shear.
- Memory Aid: Risk assessment should be used in conjunction with a professional clinical opinion to provide a memory aid of notes for future reference for the patients.
