Bed Sore Prevention

Paper Summary:

The sight of bedsores on a patient has often meant that the health care facility neglects its patients or has non-hygienic conditions. This paper looks at a theory called the Braden Scale which can be used by health care centers to assist in predicting and preventing bed sores. The cause of bed sores or pressure sores are discussed and prevention treatments are analyzed.

From the Paper:

"Bedsores are a difficult problem for patients who are in wheelchairs or immobile. Bedsores, pressure sores, and decubitus ulcers can be defined as meaning the same thing. "Pressure sores represent localized tissue death. They can occur in any individual and are triggered by a number of factors; some of which are external factors to do with the physical environment and some internal factors to do with a person general health status" (wmunro 2002).
It can be said that the only way to prevent these is no pressure, but that is impossible. These are difficult to treat and cause the patient severe pain. "However, decubitus implies bedridden, and many types of wounds with the same pressure-induced etiology occur in nonbedridden patients; thus, the more appropriate term is pressure sore or pressure ulcer" (Fonendo 2002). "Pressure sores are a serious problem. It has been estimated that 3% to 5% of all hospital inpatients will develop pressure sores either just before, during, or after admission" (wmunro.com 2002). "The pathogenesis of pressure ulcers consists of more than simply pressure-related necrosis. Skin is usually resistant to this type of destruction, yet these ulcers evolve to include the skin" Fonendo 2002). Factors that increase the risk of bedsores are age, skin thinning, weight loss, and vascular insufficiency."

More papers on Bed Sore Prevention:

• Essay # 86532 : "Pressure Sores"
• Term Paper # 145878 : "Pressure Sores Overview"
• Essay # 44173 : "Decubitus Ulcers"

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