Pressure Sores - Introduction
Avoidable pressure ulcers are a
key indicator of the quality of nursing care. Preventing them
happening will improve all care for vulnerable patients.
Introduction
Pressure ulcers are an injury that breaks down the
skin and underlying tissue. They are caused when an area of skin is placed
under pressure.
They are sometimes known as "bedsores" or
"pressure sores".
Pressure ulcers can range in severity from patches
of discoloured skin to open wounds that expose the underlying bone or muscle.
How pressure ulcers develop
Pressure ulcers can develop when a large
amount of pressure is applied to an area of skin over a short period of time.
They can also occur when less pressure is applied over a longer period of time.
The extra pressure disrupts the flow of blood
through the skin. Without a blood supply, the affected skin becomes starved of
oxygen and nutrients, and begins to break down, leading to an ulcer forming.
Pressure ulcers tend to affect people with health
conditions that make it difficult to move, especially those confined to
lying in a bed or sitting for prolonged periods of time.
Conditions that affect the flow of blood through
the body, such as type 2 diabetes, can also make a person more vulnerable to
pressure ulcers.
Who is affected?
It's estimated that just under half a million
people in the UK will develop at least one pressure ulcer in any given year.
This is usually people with an underlying health condition – for example, around 1
in 20 people who are admitted to hospital with a sudden illness will develop a
pressure ulcer.
People over 70 years old are particularly
vulnerable to pressure ulcers, as they are more likely to have mobility
problems and ageing skin.
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