Howard Falkinburg

Person must be quite hypervigilant when they have a spinal cord injury. We are prone to several melodies related to her injury. In today’s lesson, I will cover pressure sores. People who are older, immobile, for bedridden are at high risk for pressure sores, also called pressure ulcers for bedsores.

Pressure ulcers occur when there is prolonged pressure on the skin. This frequently happens in a wheelchair, bedding, piece of clothing, etc. friction, moisture, or traction pulling shearing on the skin can lead to pressure ulcers.

Christopher Reeves, the actor who played Superman, suffered an SCI in 1995. He and his wife, Martha, became prominent spokespersons for spinal cord injuries. What is a little-known fact is that Christopher Reeves died from an infection due to a pressure sore in 2004.

The following facts are gathered from the clevelandclinic.org website.

Stages of pressure sores:

Stage one: the skin looks red or pink. The skin is not broken. Pressure on the skin does not blanch after 30 minutes

Stage two: a red or pink shallow wound develops. There may be some skin loss. The bruise becomes an open sore that looks like an abrasion or blister

Stage three: a noticeable wound goes down to the fatty layer. The wound becomes deeper and looks like a crater

Stage four: the wound penetrates all three layers of the skin, exposing muscle, tendon, and bone. This can lead to infection of the bone (Osteomyelitis) or the blood (sepsis)

Stages three and four can lead to infection. These wounds may require surgical treatment. Worldwide, over 24,000 people die of pressure ulcers per year. 

It’s important for caretakers to inspect my body for pressure sores when changing me or after showers. A pressure ulcer developed on my buttocks a couple of months ago. As you can imagine, I was nervous about it and proactive in getting it treated at the wound clinic.

It can take up to several months for a wound to heal. Corewell Health‘s wound clinic diagnosed that moisture was being trapped because of bandages applied. They recommended treating my butt with antifungal cream and not to not wear underwear at night.

Prevention of Bed Sores:

Change positioning every 15 minutes when I’m in a wheelchair by tilting back. I rotate every two hours when in bed by talking a pillow or a wedge under either my hips

I make sure caregivers check the skin daily, especially after showers. If redness on the skin is blanchable to the touch (turns pink), that is good news. If redness stays over 30 minutes, then it’s cause for concern

Eat a nutritious diet and stay well hydrated. A diet high in protein can help prevent and heal pressure wounds

Keep the skin dry and clean. I can put barrier cream in vulnerable areas.

Use specially manufactured mattresses and cushions. My hospital bed mattress has airflow settings in certain areas. My wheelchair may be inadvertently causing undue pressure on my butt because of a custom-made back rest creates less sitting area.

Wash and change bedsheets, underwear, and clothing often

I’ve been pretty fortunate for 6 1/2 years. Recently, I have developed the stage two pressure ulcer on my right buttock. I was referred to the wound clinic in Grand Rapids.

I have a follow up appointment this month and I’ve been receiving positive news that it’s been healing well. Because I am sitting or laying in bed almost all the time, moisture gets trapped down there in my butt. I’m using an antifungal cream and it has been clearing up the past few weeks.