The frail elderly, nursing home residents, and immobile individuals are susceptible to developing pressure sores, also known as pressure ulcers, and bed sores. In nursing homes, men are more prone to develop pressure sores than woman, as well as those with recent weight loss. However, there is no significant difference in the risk of pressure sores when pertaining to race.
Four stages to pressure ulcers:
- Red area on the skin that does not go away with release of pressure and does not have a skin tear.
- Top layer of skin is absent, appears as an abrasion, blister, or shallow crater.
- Full thickness of skin is lost, exposing subcutaneous tissue (connective tissue that lies directly under the skin), appears as deep crater.
- Full thickness of skin is lost, exposing muscle or bone.
Pressure ulcers are serious and can rapidly worsen within a short amount of time if not properly treated, resulting in infection and possibly surgery. Patients with a high level of immobility are at high risk for pressure sores as well as those with diabetes and poor circulation.
Individuals at risk for pressure sores need to be moved and adjusted regularly to relieve unnecessary pressure on the injured area. They need a high nutrient diet to promote healing and proper cleaning and treatment of the wound. The type of Tegaderm Hydrocolloid Dressing used to treat the wound depends on the size and severity of the ulcer and amount of exudates (oozing fluid) from the wound.
Tegaderm Hydrocolloid Dressing is a sterile wound dressing, which consists of a hypoallergenic, hydrocolloid adhesive and is suitable for moderate to heavily draining wounds. The inner layer rapidly absorbs exudates; the colloid interacts with tissue fluid to form a nonadhesive gel. The clear adhesive outer layer is easy to clean, waterproof, and impermeable to bacteria and viruses. Together, these two features ensure an optimal moist wound environment to promote healing.
You can find it in our collection of Tegaderm Products.
Sources
Pressure Ulcer Risk Factors Among Hospitalized Patients With Activity Limitation
