Pressure Ulcers

More than 2.5 million people in the United States develop pressure ulcers each year. If you or a loved one develops open sores caused by pressure, turn to the experts at VIP Wound, with offices in Memphis, Tennessee, and Holly Springs, Mississippi. Their wound care specialists offer comprehensive wound care services to optimize healing and lower the risks of infections and other complications. Schedule an evaluation by calling the nearest VIP Wound office today.

What are pressure ulcers?

Pressure ulcers (also called bed sores) are open wounds caused by prolonged pressure against the skin and by moisture, traction, or friction. Several stages of bed sores exist, some of which are serious, even life-threatening, when left untreated, as they can grow larger and become infected. See the VIP Wound experts at the first sign of a nonhealing or severe pressure ulcer.

What are the symptoms of pressure ulcers?

Bedsores are open wounds that can develop anywhere on your body. They often develop on parts of the body where bones place pressure on the skin when sitting or lying down. For example, they usually appear on the back, buttocks, tailbone, hips, elbows, ankles, and heels.

Pressure ulcers can also appear on the bridge of your nose, ears, or the back of your head because of oxygen therapy or the inside of your mouth due to poorly fitted dentures, mechanical ventilation, or intubation.

What are the different stages of pressure ulcers?

The stages of pressure ulcers include:

• Stage 1: red or pink skin that can be tender but not yet open
• Stage 2: shallow wound with a red or pink base
• Stage 3: noticeable wound that goes into the skin’s fatty layer
• Stage 4: wound that penetrates all skin layers, exposing bones, muscles, or tendons

While bedsores can be itchy and painful, some people don’t feel them due to dulled sensations. 

Pressure ulcers can cause life-threatening infections, including septicemia (germs get into your bloodstream and spread) and cellulitis, a bacterial infection.

When left untreated, pressure ulcers can require amputation in severe cases. Bedsores lead to more than 24,000 deaths each year worldwide.

Signs of an infection include chills, fever, and sores that are painful, foul-smelling, swollen, filled with pus, red, and warm to the touch.

What are the risk factors for pressure ulcers?

Pressure ulcers develop when pressure cuts off blood flow to the skin, causing a wound to develop quickly as the skin cells begin to die. As the cells break down, a pressure wound forms. Risk factors include:

• Moisture from urine, stool, or sweat
• Pulling or stretching the skin 
• Paralysis
• Being in a vegetative state
• Being bedridden
• Using a wheelchair
• Smoking
• Having a medical condition

Examples of medical problems that boost the risk of pressure ulcers are heart and kidney failure, dementia, cancer, chronic venous insufficiency, peripheral artery disease (PAD), spinal cord injuries, and malnutrition.

How are pressure ulcers diagnosed and treated?

The VIP Wound experts diagnose pressure ulcers by discussing your symptoms and medical history, examining the wound, and completing a wound biopsy, blood work, and imaging (X-rays, an MRI, an ultrasound, a CT scan, or another procedure). Your treatment could consist of:

• Wound cleaning
• Debridement (removal of infected and dead tissue)
• Specialized medical bandages or dressings
• Oral, injected, or topical medicines
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)
• Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)
• In-office dressing changes
• Wound care education
• Compression therapy
• Specialized footwear
• Off-loading
• Skin grafts
• Surgery
• Combinations of wound care treatments

Schedule a pressure ulcer evaluation at VIP Wound by calling the office today.