Pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers are injuries to skin underlying tissues next to bony areas such as the heels and hips and the skin itself due to prolonged pressure on them. The 60-year-old patient diagnosed with a cervical spinal cord injury in the ICU is at a high risk of contracting this condition due to his or her limited ability to change position and spending the most time in a bed.

The potential risk factors such an individual faces for bedsores include: Immobility as a result of the spinal cord injury that limits the patients from smoothly moving, Incontinence that makes the skin more vulnerable with extended exposure to urine and stool, and even Lack of sensory perception as any spinal cord injury may lead to the inability to feel pain or discomfort. Also, Poor nutrition and hydration are a potential risk factor for bedsores as insufficient fluids, kilocalories, protein, vitamins, and minerals in such patients‘ diets reduce their healthy skin maintenance and allow for the breakdown of tissues.

Treatment and control of pressure ulcers involve multiple methods. For patients in ICU, as in this case, air-fluidized beds are superior to other methods. These beds are effective in reducing the pressure of ulcer sizes. This is due to the total immobility that such an elder patient may undergo. In addition to this, the provision of nutritional supplements with protein or amino acids would be necessary for such patients to improve the rate of healing f these bedsores.