Suffolk Center Tells You How to Spot Impending Pressure Ulcers
At any long-term care facility like the Suffolk Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, the battle for wound care and prevention is eternal. Elderly and chronically ill patients often face compromised or weakened immune systems and delayed healing processes, putting them at a greater risk for infection. Therefore, enhanced attention to existing wounds and the conditions that result in wounds is of paramount concern. The most effective method of wound care is to recognize wound risk early and to take the necessary steps to halt development.
Pressure ulcers are one of the most common types of wounds in patients with limited mobility. Constant pressure of a bone and/or flesh against an external surface causes the cells trapped between to be damaged and to expire prematurely without allowing normal growth of new cells. As the trapped tissue begins to die off, it passes through four different stages of severity if left unchecked.
At its earliest stage, a pressure ulcer begins as a non-blanchable erythema, or a reddened lesion that does not lose its redness when pressure is applied (for instance, when gently pressed by a finger). The next stage involves damage to the skin layers that can reduce skin thickness and appear as a blister or abrasion. The third stage of a pressure ulcer is the point at which the wound has penetrated through the skin to but not through the fascia (a flat band of tissue between the skin and the tissue below). The fourth and final stage a pressure ulcer may reach is when it begins to include the loss of deeper structures like muscle and bone.
These categorizations are important because they tell us both about the severity and about the progression of the ulcer. They also tell us that if we’re on the lookout for those non-blanchable erythema at the beginnings of the wound formation, we can take measures to halt the development of the ulcer before it becomes more serious. Whether you care for an elderly loved one on your own or know someone who is in a long-term care facility, do them a favor by staying alert for these reddened areas where the body is often in contact with an external surface.
To learn more about the Suffolk Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit https://centershealthcare.com/suffolk_center/.
