Pressure sores are injuries to the skin and the underlying tissue due to continued pressure in one particular area of the body. Usually pressure sores are seen in areas of the body that are bony and have little body fat cushioning covering them, such as the tailbone, hips, knees, elbows, ankles, heels, back of the head, and ears. Pressure sores are almost always preventable, but often occur in nursing homes where residents that are less mobile or wheelchair bound are left in one position for too long by neglectful or overworked nursing home staff.
Pressure sores develop in four stages. Stage one pressure sores begin as small areas of red, tender skin. As they progress through the stages, pressure sores will become painful, infected open wounds that move deeper into the body’s tissues. The longer a pressure sore is allowed to progress without treatment, the more difficult it will be to treat effectively and the greater the risk of a patient developing life-threatening complications.
Types of Fatal Complications
As pressure sores are left untreated, the risk for fatal complications increases dramatically. A nursing home resident who is suffering from untreated pressure sores runs the risk of various types of complications, which include:
- Bone Infections-Bone infections, or Osteomyelitis, occur when the infection from the pressure sore spreads into the bones and bone marrow. Untreated bone infections are painful and can quickly spread throughout the body, degrading cartilage, bones, and joints and often resulting in amputation of limbs. Bone infections that are not treated swiftly can progress to a full-body infection which is deadly.
- Necrotizing Fasciitis- “Flesh-eating bacteria” or necrotizing fasciitis eats away at the area surrounding the pressure sore and can destroy muscle tissue in a matter of hours. If a patient with necrotizing fasciitis is not treated immediately, death can occur in 24 hours.
- Gangrene-As pressure sores progress and the infection increases, the blood supply to that area begins to die. As blood flow decreases, bacteria proliferate, and the area will begin to turn greenish-black and develop a foul odor. Untreated gangrene will spread quickly, and even with treatment can still be deadly.
- Sepsis-Sepsis is caused when the bacteria from a pressure sore travels through the bloodstream and is known to cause organ failure and death. Sepsis must be identified and treated quickly to provide the best chance of survival as septic shock has a 50% fatality rate.
Pressure sores themselves are not deadly. When nursing homes are negligent in the care of their residents and allow pressure sores to develop and progress, serious infections occur that are the ultimate cause of death.
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