What Causes Bed Sores?

Bed sores are an unfortunate and painful condition plaguing the bedridden, the obese and the elderly. Preventing bed sores is a lot easier than treating them, so caregivers should change a patient's position at least every two hours, while paying close attention to moisture, pressure and friction.

Background

• Until the 1950's no one knew what caused bed sores; some believed it was due to insects nesting beneath the patient's body, while others believed it was due to infection "settling" at the lowest part of the body. Doreen Norton discovered that the treatment and the cure both involved frequently changing the patient's position.

Pressure

• Bed sores are also called "pressure ulcers." Skin and muscles that are subject to high pressure from the weight of the body are subject to bed sores; an obese patient will have more pressure on his body and be at greater risk.

Moisture

• Areas that are subject to high levels of moisture and or acidity, like the groin, are prone to bed sores.

Friction

• The combination of pressure and friction can literally "grind down" the atrophying tissues that occur during inactivity.

Treatment

• Treating bed sores involves removing the dead tissue, usually surgically, and allowing the body to heal without undo pressure. Repositioning the patient and frequently changing linens, bed clothes, and bandages are imperative.