Pressure Sores
Medical negligence compensation claims involving the development of pressure sores (also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores) are common. Pressure sores are quick to develop but can take a long time to heal. They can be debilitating and are extremely painful. However, with proper nursing care they can also be prevented.
How do pressure sores develop?
They occur as a direct result of unrelieved pressure and distortion of the body’s tissue. The most vulnerable areas are over a bony prominence such as the sacrum (base of the spine), buttocks, hips, heels, ankles, elbows and the back of the head. When the tissues are not relieved of pressure, waste products build up and can lead to tissue necrosis (the death of cells), clinical infection and even death from septicaemia.
The best way to describe how a pressure sore develops is to look at what happens to an orange in a fruit bowl which is not moved for a long period of time. The part of the orange in contact with the fruit bowl (i.e. where the pressure is) becomes mouldy and starts to decay. The same happens with the human body.
How should pressure sores be prevented?
The simple answer is through good nursing care. Every patient who has or is going to have reduced mobility should undergo an assessment. The most commonly used is the Waterlow Scale, which assesses several factors in order to decide whether a patient is at high risk from pressure sores. Guidance has also been provided by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) by way of the “Pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention” guide.
Factors which should be taken into account when assessing patients are problems with mobility, problems with sensitivity to pain or discomfort, poor circulation, moist skin, pressure sores in the past, age and inadequate diet or fluid intake.
Nursing care is about providing the alleviation and redistribution of pressure, either by safe repositioning or by the provision of appropriate support surfaces or pressure relieving devices.
By risk assessing patients then putting in place appropriate care plans the risk of pressure sores developing is reduced, and could mean that they don’t develop at all. However, it should be realised that sometimes (despite a high level of nursing care) some patients will still develop pressure sores due to irreversible tissue hypoxia (where the tissue is deprived of adequate oxygen). However, in our experience most of our clients have developed pressure sores in situations where they could have been prevented.
There is a tendency to assume that pressure sores are the inevitable result of prolonged bed-rest, however this is not the case and they should be taken seriously.
Consequences of pressure sores
They can be painful and difficult to heal as the wound has to heal from the inside out. Heels are particularly vulnerable to pressure sores and the sores can cause permanent difficulty with walking as the skin becomes tight and is vulnerable to breaking down.
Many pressure sore cases involve extensive plastic surgery and patients can be left with unsightly scarring.
Find out how to make a claim or how we have helped others make a medical negligence claim for pressure sores.
