Pressure sores (or bed sores)
Pressure sores are areas of skin and tissue which have been injured, and they are usually caused when there is a period of immobility, perhaps following a patient’s surgery, due to illness, or where patients are wheelchair bound. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to these sores, which are also known as bed sores.
Where patients are sitting or lying in one place, this can put pressure on certain areas of the body, reducing the blood supply to the skin and the tissues under the skin. When a patient’s position is not changed often enough, the blood supply lowers, and a bed sore may form.
Pressure sores can be serious, and deep sores may go down into the muscle, or even into the bone. These sores can also become infected. It is therefore vital that a patient’s susceptibility to pressures sores is appropriately assessed at all times, so that steps can be taken to prevent the sores forming in the first place. This might include provision of a pressure-relieving mattress, and ensuring that patients are turned regularly so that any pressure is spread out over the body, rather than being focused on a particular area.
Once pressure sores have formed, treatment is available to prevent their deterioration, including keeping the sore clean and removing any dead tissue from the area. Good nutrition is also essential because it helps to heal the sores.
Claims involving pressure sores are often brought because there has been an inadequate assessment of a patient’s susceptibility to bed sores, or inadequate treatment of the sore once it has formed.
If you have suffered a pressure sore or bed sore as a result of a medical accident or or because of sub-standard care or management, the law can help you find out what happened and why, and in some cases help you claim compensation for your suffering. Contact us for further information.
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