by Mark Miranda, Gazette Contributing Writer
 

Complications from pressure sores or ulcers kill almost 60,000 people in the United States each year. The death of Christopher Reeve who survived nine years of paralysis, and all the problems immobility creates, brought added attention to the devastating effects of pressure sores.
But paralyzed patients are not the only ones who suffer from bed sores. Anyone with limited mobility, including diabetics who have difficulty healing, is at risk. If bacteria from infected pressure sores get into the bloodstream, a patient can develop an infection called sepsis, as Reeve did. Sepsis is fatal about half of the time.
The Wound Healing Center at Kessler Memorial Hospital has treated many persons with pressure sores during its ten years of service. Utilizing a nationally accepted clinical pathway, the staff of the Wound Healing Center aggressively works to prevent infection in non-healing wounds as well as address the underlying cause.
Some recommendations from the Wound Healing Center to prevent pressure ulcers include:
• Inspect skin daily for areas of redness or open wounds, especially in bony areas.
• Prevent dry skin with a moisturizing cream or lotion.
• Prevent over moist skin with a skin sealant or ointment specified by your physician.
• Change position in bed every two hours and, in a chair, every hour.
• Use a mattress overlay, special mattress, or cushion (do not use a donut shaped cushion.)
• Raise head of bed as little as possible and only for a short time.
• Reduce friction by lifting rather than dragging when changing positions.
• Use cornstarch on skin in places where it contacts areas of high pressure.
• Use pillows or wedges to keep knees from touching and ankles from rubbing together.
• Be committed to eating a balanced diet. Ask for help in choosing nutritional supplements if they are needed.
For more information on the prevention or treatment of pressure sores or ulcers, contact the Wound Healing Center at Kessler Memorial Hospital at 561-5551 or (800) 21-WOUND.