PressureUlcer.net

Pressure Ulcer is a Complete Guide to Pressure Ulcers. Topics Include: Stage 3, 4 & Unstageable, Prevention, Treatment, Neglect, Attorneys, and Lawsuits.

PressureUlcer.net was created to act as a reliable resource for members of the public wishing to educate themselves about pressure ulcers, their types, causes, treatment, prevention, and the remedies available to those suffering. Continue Reading »

Basic care can prevent pressure sores

We’re finishing our discussion this week about how to identify and manage various pressure ulcers on people who are most susceptible to them, such as people required to be at bed rest, people with disabilities and people dealing with paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury.

Last week, we discussed what pressure ulcers are, how they can occur and how they can be identified, managed and even cured. Read previous article:  Spinal cord injuries may lead to pressure sores

This week, we want to discuss a host of other things that anyone susceptible to pressure ulcers should be aware of. Trust me, when it comes to pressure ulcers, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Continue Reading »

Spinal cord injuries may lead to pressure sores

There are numerous other health issues that people with various types of disabilities have to cope with on an almost daily basis. Depending on the “main” disability, other issues such as high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, lack of coordination and the like can compound living with that disability to a more uncomfortable life.

Preventing pressure sores is a daily concern for individuals who have a spinal cord injury. If you are a person dealing with an SCI, you should always work to stay healthy and avoid this serious skin problem in order to be free to do what you would like to do or anything else that life has to offer. Continue Reading »

Robust Regeneration of Injured Nerves Achieved for First Time in Adult Mammalian Spinal Cord

BOSTON, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Researchers for the first time have induced robust regeneration of nerve tissue connections in injured adult spinal cord sites that control voluntary movement. These findings provide hope that it may be possible to design therapies for paralysis and other impairments of motor function arising from spinal cord injury. Continue Reading »

University of Louisville, Kentucky centers develop treatments, create hope for spinal cord injuries

A bullet remains lodged in Michelle Alexander’s spinal cord nearly six years after her husband shot her four times — instantly paralyzing her — before killing himself in July 2004.

Doctors told her she’d probably never walk again. But a rehabilitation strategy being pioneered at the University of Louisville is changing her fate.

Today Alexander uses a walker to get around, takes tentative steps with two canes and gets on a specially designed treadmill four days a week as part of a research study evaluating Locomotor training, which UofL’s Susan Harkema helped develop to teach lost skills to broken nervous systems.

It’s one of several areas of spinal cord research at UofL and the University of Kentucky, home to two of about 10 large centers for such work in the nation. Continue Reading »

Can spinal cord injury patients with bed sores develop autonomic dysreflexia?

Autonomic Dysreflexia (or hyperreflexia) is a dangerous condition that can occur with bed sore patients or patients with spinal cord injuries above the middle of the chest (usually above T-5). Autonomic dysreflexia occurs when an irritation or pain (frequently caused by bed sores) below the level of the spinal cord injury sends a signal that fails to reach the brain. Continue Reading »

‘Avatar’ Gets Mixed Praise From Paraplegics

Wheelchair Users Say Paraplegic Action Movie Character Inaccurate, but Uplifting

Like others who flocked to see the blockbuster movie “Avatar,” 26-year-old Santina Muha was thrilled by the visuals.

But unlike the majority of people in the theatre, she wasn’t just imagining life on the distant moon Pandora. She was vicariously living the fantasy of regaining the use of her legs.

“The scene where the character goes from his wheelchair into his ‘avatar,’ where he’s walking and playing basketball, it was really touching,” said Muha, who had a spinal cord injury in a car accident at age 5. Continue Reading »

Prevention of pressure ulcers

Experts all agree that it is far easier to prevent bed sore than to treat them. However, easier does not necessarily mean easy. With the appropriate measures, patients and medical staff can significantly reduce the risk of developing pressure ulcers.

The Mayo Clinic, USA, recommends that patients and medical staff develop a plan that all can follow; this must include position changes, supportive devices, routine skin inspections and good diet. Continue Reading »

What are the treatment options for pressure ulcers?

Treating pressure ulcers is not easy. If it is an open wound it most likely will not heal rapidly; even when healing does take place it may be patchy because the skin and other tissues have already been damaged. A multidisciplinary approach is required to deal with the many aspects of wound care. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, the MDT (multidisciplinary team) may consist of: Continue Reading »

What are the signs and symptoms of pressure ulcers?

A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.

Parts of the body that are not covered by a high level of body fat and flesh (muscle) and are in direct contact with a supporting surface, such as a bed or wheelchair have the highest risk of developing pressure ulcers. Bedbound patients are most at risk of developing bed sores on their: Continue Reading »