Today is *International Pressure Sore and Ulcer Day"!
This can be highly relevant to any of us that have to spend long periods in bed or a wheelchair. I suffered quite badly with sores on both my bottom and heel in the aftermath of my amputation. What annoyed me was the fact I was seen a number of times by a tissue viability nurse. This was sorted when I moved to rehab by more focussed nursing rather than a specialised nurse. Further on I developed sores caused by a poor wheelchair cushion - you couldn't make it up!
Anybody else suffered?
Written by
MichaelJH
Heart Star
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Fortunately not MichaelJH but on my last seven night stay in hospital in July this year the staff were diligent in checking for bed sores. This contrasts with no experience of that being done during a seven night stay in October 2019. So my limited experience suggest that protocols in hospital are improving on this matter?
I'm glad to hear of your recent experience and that protocols appear to be improving, but they should never have deteriorated in the first place. Nursing these days is, apparently, all evidence-based and there should have been plenty of evidence that lack of care led to pressure sores. In the days of the dinosaurs we worker ants did something called the "back round" every 4 hours - more often for some patients - when pressure areas were checked, cleaned and treated. Any pressure was a matter for Matron's Report daily. Happy days!
Unfortunately even with the best care some people will sadly develop pressure sores.
A person is more at risk of developing a pressure sore if they are over 70, immobile, overweight , eat a poor diet, have diabetes, peripheral artery disease, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, or a loss of sensation to their limbs.
In hospital many at risk patients are nursed on a bed with special mattresses.
Those special beds were coming into use by the end of my training, but their use was not considered a reason to neglect the ever-present back round. The patients you mention in your second paragraph are those who got special attention.
Thank you Milkfairy, I have now signed it. I remember well getting my registration confirmation letter from the now defunct General Nursing Council with my number on the register and my blue and silver badge with my name and number engraved on the back. The badge remained the property of the GNC and should be returned to it on my death. I was informed that I was now entitled to take and use the title "Nurse". I don't know what happens nowadays, but becoming an SRN was a serious business then.
Thank you Milkfairy for the link to Nursing Practice. It interested me that there was an article about childhood obesity without once mentioning the role of Health Visitors even though there was an article about how vital it was back in August. As someone once said, health visiting is like housework: no one notices it until it isn't done.
I have a special bed but it took months to get the "tall person" extension and then they fitted the extending mattress at the foot rather than the head ending the benefit of the air mattress on the heel! ☹️🙃
Luckily I have not had this problem, though my mother did she had quite a few problems with pressure sores. Her Daughter in Law who lived in the States got her a real sheep skin to lie on and it worked a treat. It was a huge piece and her whole body from feet to shoulders were on this.
I am so sorry to read you have had problems, I know how very painful they are. Hope they are healing now.
My mother had heart surgery in a top London hospital, about 10 years ago. She developed bed sores that greatly hindered her recovery. This used to be almost a hanging offence, but seems to have gone off the radar in recent years.
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