Paralysis Resource Guide - (Page 92) HEALTH MANAGEMENT SKIN CARE People with paralysis are at high risk of developing skin problems. Limited mobility coupled with impaired sensation can lead to pressure sores or ulcers, which can be a devastating complication. The skin, the largest organ system in the body, is tough and pliable. It protects the underlying cells against air, water, foreign substances and bacteria. It is sensitive to injury and has remarkable self-repair capabilities. But skin just can’t take prolonged pressure. A pressure ulcer involves damage to the skin and underlying tissue. Pressure ulcers, also called bed sores, decubiti or decubitus ulcers, range in severity from mild (minor skin reddening) to severe (deep craters that can infect all the way to muscle and bone). Unrelieved pressure on the skin squeezes tiny blood vessels, which supply the skin with nutrients and oxygen. When skin is starved of blood for too long, tissue dies and a pressure ulcer forms. Other factors cause pressure ulcers, too. Sliding around in a bed or chair can cause blood vessels to stretch or bend, leading to pressure ulcers. An abrasion can occur when a person’s skin is pulled across a surface instead of lifted. A bump or fall may cause damage to the skin that may not show up right away. Other causes of pressure sores are clothing, braces or hard objects that put pressure on your skin. Also, people with limited sensation are prone to skin injuries from burns. care “Take good meanor your skin: A serious skin sore can several weeks or even months of hospitalization or bed rest in order for the sore to heal. ” Skin damage from pressure usually begins on the body where the bones are close to the skin surface, such as the hip. These bony prominences apply pressure on the skin from within. If there is a hard surface on the outside, too, the skin is pinched off from circulation. Because the rate of circulation is reduced by paralysis 92
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.