BedSore Infections Could Lead to Serious Injury and Death

Written by Adam Peck Category: Elder Law January 26th, 2013 3 min read

Infection from bed sores is a serious complication that can lead to serious injury and even death. There are several types of infection from bed sores that a patient can develop when their pressure sores are not promptly and adequately treated. Each year in the United States about one million people develop bed sores (also known as pressure sores and decubitis). Bed sores develop when the blood supply to the skin is cut off for two hours or more. Bed sores are a common ailment suffered by people who are bedridden or confined to a wheelchair.

Approximately sixty thousand people die as a result of infection from bed sores. Infection from bed sores occurs when bacteria develops in the affected area. These bacteria can cause significant damage to the skin, blood, bones, muscles, and other tissues in the affected area. Infection from bed sores is more likely in the presence of sweat, feces, urine, or other moisture when these materials come in contact with affected skin.

Infection from bed sores is preventable when proper and prompt care is administered to a patient who has developed bed sores. Proper diet and hygiene are crucial to prevent infection from bed sores. A diet rich in protein, vitamins and minerals can help to prevent bed sores and infection from bed sores. A person who is bedridden or uses a wheel chair should be shifted often to reduce prolonged pressure to certain areas. In order to prevent infection from bed sores, a patient’s skin should be kept clean, dry, moisturized, and away from harsh chemicals. Patients who are incontinent or are at an increased risk of infection from bed sores should be monitored closely and checked frequently for any signs of infection from bed sores.

When a person develops a bed sore, the skin in the affected area first becomes discolored and may be tender and itchy. As the tissues begin to atrophy (die), blisters and open wound abrasions develop. These craters can grow to invade and destroy deeper soft tissues, muscles, bones, tendons, and joints. The potential for infection is high when a bed sore becomes exposed to external elements of moisture and bacteria.

Signs of infection from bed sores can include pus drainage from the bed sores; a foul smell from the wound; and tenderness, heat or redness in the skin surrounding a bed sore. If any of these symptoms of infection from bed sores are present a patient must receive adequate and immediate medical attention to avoid serious complications. Infection from bed sores can be treated with topical or oral antibiotics, and proper wound care and dressings.

Infection from bed sores can include gangrene (tissue death), bone infections (osteomyelitis), blood infections (sepsis), infectious arthritis, and scar carcinoma (cancer of scar tissue). Sepsis alone kills fifty percent off all people who develop this infection.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.