Bedsore Causes - Bed Sores/Pressure Sores

Bedsores are injuries caused by constant and unrelieved pressure that damages the skin and underlying tissue due to lack of mobility and blood circulation (i.e., being bedridden). If you must sit or lie for prolonged periods, the surface of your seat or bed puts excessive pressure on the bony prominences or pressure points in your body. Common pressure points on the body include the tail bone (sacrum), hip bone areas, and the ankle and heel. Less common sites include the elbows, spine, ribs, and back of the head.

Pressure sores may also result from friction caused by your skin rubbing against another surface, or when two layers of skin slide on each other, moving in opposite directions and causing damage to the underlying tissue. This may happen if you are transferred from a bed to a stretcher, or if you slide down in a chair.

Excessive moisture that softens your skin and reduces its resistance can also cause pressure sores. This can occur with excessive perspiration and with urinary or fecal incontinence.

All the factors listed below place you at higher risk for pressure sores:

immobility
inactivity
fecal or urinary incontinence
poor nutrition
decreased level of consciousness
low body weight
smoking
corticosteroid use
Medical conditions such as the following also put you at risk:

anemia
infections
edema
diabetes mellitus
stroke
dementia
alcoholism
fractures
cancer malignancies

Author: MediResource