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Some patients may be confined to their bed or a wheelchair for the duration of their stay in hospital and whether they are there for days or for months, staff should help them change their position as often as needed to avoid bedsores from developing.
Bedsores grow over four stages, which medical staff should be aware of so that they can prevent the occurrence of more severe sores if they are too late to avoid them manifesting in the first instance.
In stage one, the patient's skin will noticeably change temperature so that it is hotter or colder than it was and they might feel pain or an itching sensation in that area. The beginnings of an ulcer are often noticeable as a defined patch of darker skin.
If pressure sores are not noticed at stage one, a stage two sore can develop quickly. The affected area may lose its top layer, and therefore its thickness, and is likely to resemble a blister or shallow dip in the skin's surface.
After stage two bedsores become much more difficult to treat, causing loss of the full thickness of the skin and sometimes the connective tissues underneath. A stage three pressure ulcer is likely to look like a fairly deep pit in the skin and be black around the edges.
At stage four the bedsore will have extended down to deeper tissues and can severely damage muscles and even the patient's bones, joints and tendons. The sore is typically large, deeper than in stage three, and will often reveal exposed bone and connective tissues.
Not only are pressure sores disturbing to see, they are extremely distressing for the patient and their family. Stage four sores can result in the removal of dead tissue, or amputation of a whole limb, and if no action is taken the wound can become septic and lead to the death of the sufferer.
Depending on the health, age, and care that the individual receives, stage one bedsores can develop within a minimum of one to two hours of the patient resting in one position without shifting body weight.
Contacting a clinical negligence solicitor regarding a bedsore claim
The extreme personal injury and stress which pressure sores can cause may permanently lower a person's quality of life.
Avoiding the occurrence of these damaging ulcers is simple, and hospital staff should be trained in noticing any symptoms and in helping bedridden patients to keep as mobile as possible so that they do not develop problems in the first place.
If you or a love one have suffered pressure sores during a hospital stay, YouClaim's expert clinical negligence solicitors could help you make a compensation claim.
Call us on 0800 10 757 95, talk with one of our advisers using live help, or just take a moment to fill in a short online claim form with a few basic details about your case. The YouClaim team is here to help – contact us today.
