Five Tips for Preventing Pressure Injuries

Pressure injuries (formerly referred to as pressure sores or pressure ulcers) claim the lives of more than 60,000 people each year and cost the US healthcare system more than $11 billion annually.

To call attention to the prevalence of pressure injuries, Governor Ned Lamont officially proclaimed Thursday, November 21th as Pressure Injury Prevention Day in Connecticut.

“Over the last five years, there has been a disturbing national trend of more severe pressure injuries,” says Tim Fournier, Chapter President of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Connecticut (SCIACT).

“Research from the Centers from Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that no other preventable event occurs as frequently as pressure-related injuries. We hope that education will help prevent this high incidence of pressure injuries and alleviate the substantial pain that 2.5 million Americans experience each year.”

Diana Pernigotti, SCIACT chapter Secretary and Research Coordinator at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, says that those who are most at risk include bedbound individuals, anyone unable to move due to illness, medical condition or pain; those who use a wheelchair or sit for long periods of time; and even those undergoing surgery that will last more than three hours.

In honor of Pressure Injury Prevention Day, the SCIACT offers five tips for preventing pressure injuries:

• Gently wash (don’t scrub) and dry skin, being careful to manage sweat, bowel and bladder habits. Special skin barriers and cleansers may be available to help meet your needs.
• Change positions regularly. Special beds or cushions can help protect the skin, depending on your situation.
• Pay special care to nutrition. Too few calories can cause loss of muscle mass. Protein helps repair and maintain tissue and muscle. Being properly hydrated ensures that nutrients are spread throughout your body. Many vitamins and minerals are essential to healing and the amino acids arginine and glutamine are critical in wound healing.
• Check skin regularly. The first signs of a budding pressure injury can include skin discoloration. The area could even feel hard or warm.
• Adapt clothing and moisturizers to the season.