The Science Behind Pressure Ulcers, why they happen and How to Stop Them
In short, the bony areas of the body are under a much greater threat to developing pressure ulcers than anywhere else; these areas include the back of the head, the ears, shoulder blades, buttocks, hips and heels. In simple terms, if you were to sit all day without moving, the upwards pressure from the seat on your bottom bones would be so great that the peripheral arteries carrying blood to your body would start to close under the pressure points, causing the tissue to die, thus creating the start of a pressure sore. The longer the blood flow is disrupted, the greater the ulcer will be, ranging from grade one to grade four, and in the latter is life-threatening.
So, how do we stop the pressure? Keep as active as you possibly can; the longer you sit, the more at risk you become. We have to take into account people in wheelchairs and those bedridden, along with the elderly. You may often see a wheelchair user lift themselves up from their seat, altering their position; this is another way of increasing blood flow to the ischial bones, keeping the peripheral arteries flowing and avoiding necrosis of the tissue.
For the bedridden patient it is recommended the carer turns the patient every two hours, this will increase blood flow to the areas under pressure along with adjusting the direct pressures over the main contact areas, for those patients on an alternating air bed the cycle of movement going above and below capillary blood flow causes a massage effect against the skin, unlike for example the Treat-Eezi mattress overlay which is a static system, the contact areas of the body remain below that of normal blood flow allowing for the peripheral arteries to stay open and keeping tissue healthy.
