13 replies to this topic

[slhood]

I am the dad of 20 year old T4. I am very much on guard for the signs of pressure sore. On this site I read over and over of the complications. He thinks I am overboard. I think he is pretty unaware .My question is as follows
1. Are pressure sores completely avoidable ?
2. Are they very common?
3. Am I being paranoid?

One thing is I am not 100%confident on what I am looking for. We have good bed, he turns once a night maybe twice. His butt looked pretty purple once, but we started sleeping on angle propped by pillows and not laying flat. Buttocks looks good now but darker color of skin at tail bone

Thanks

[bakerk8]

hello,

in my opinion it's always good to be a little worried about sores, when you get too comfertable is when you get in trouble.

yes sores are avoidable by just making sure he knows to do pressure lifts.
and with the diffence in color of his butt, mine is the same way. i dont know why my butt is dark but hey its better than being glow in the dark haha

your consern is understandible

[Smileyblue]

Pressure sores are extremely dangerous, especially when not treated properly! Someone who was in Rehab with me recently told me that out of around 12 of us that were there at the same time, 4 have passed away from pressure sores. The first of whom was a lady that lived with her doctor brother.. I was told that pressure sores have taken over as the biggest killer of SCI injured..

Pressure sores are totally avoidable with proper precautions.. Regular pressure lifts and turns at night, regular skin inspections to catch warning signs early, and avoiding all pressure on any "pre sore" areas..

I try to avoid sleeping on my back, not only because of pain issues, but also to save my behind from pressure.. Its bad enough we sit on it all day!

Colour change is a big warning sign! So if his "normal" butt colour is that way, it should be ok.. But if it CHANGED to a darker colour (red, or purple) then its an indication somethings wrong.. Especially if the colour change feels hard or warm to the touch (warmer than unaffected skin)..

The areas you describe are high risk areas, so definitely keep an eye on them!

[greybeard]

If your boy is making light of your concern, get him to sign up here and read the archived posts about pressure sores. Then he will learn for himself.

This is a good place to start http://www.apparelyz...ssuresores.html

[Nailed]

I concur with what has been said. It is better to be paranoid than sorry. Sores are very dangerous to us.

[wheeliebear75]

"Better safe than sorry!" As others have said they can be avoided but only if you're vigilant in preventing them. And pretty much the same stuff the others said...send him our way.

[qbounce]

The darker colored skin at the "tailbone" is a HUGE concern.
If the skin doesn't turn white to the touch, that means the area is lacking blood and needs to be looked at by a professional ASAP!

[Tetracyclone]

It is a 20 year olds job to disagree with Dad. I suggest you enlist his doctor or nurse to talk about the dangers. Also, there are lots of ugly pictures on the internet of pressure sores. One pic worth 40,000 dad-words.

It is a 20 year olds job to disagree with Dad. I suggest you enlist his doctor or nurse to talk about the dangers. Also, there are lots of ugly pictures on the internet of pressure sores. One pic worth 40,000 dad-words.

[airart1]

yes and it will change his life forever, noone is ever the same physically or mentally after one goes thru the ordeal, its life changing.......its a horrible nasty thing....keep him off of it and see if the color changes, just 1-2 days will tell u, but always keep a GP handy for everything, including an urologist at all times.......

[goose]

Skin problems ARE very serious! You can get mirrors to keep an eye on things. I know that might not sound fun but it sure beats being bed bound for long periods of time. Looking at pressure sore pictures may be depressing but it also could be a reality check. Smoking makes the problems worst.

They can be totally avoided with practice. I've been in a chair for 24 years and never had 1 skin problem. Being female may have helped since we have alittle more padding on the hind quarter. Keep a check on his weight cause loss tends to make some areas more prone to problems.

Weight shifts are extremely inportant! When you see an area that has changed colors, do the press test. Press down and see how long it takes to change colors. If it changes quickly, just keep an eye on it and try to stay off that area at night. If it takes longer, you have a problem. Seek help.

Don't forget to keep a check on his cushion. They can be the cause of the problem. Getting a computer mapping of him in his cushion is a good way to see if there are any pressure points of concern.

[Terrible Texan]

a common place to watch for pressure sores is the sacral area or (tailbone), also your left & right ischium, that is where the buttock & leg meet. also, if using a leg bag, be sure it is not strapped on extremely tight.. i learned the hard way, strapping mine too tight on my lower outside of leg. before i knew it, it was a sore, then i switched legs & same thing happened. both sores ate down to the bone. took 3 yrs to heal.

[slhood]

Thanks all for the comments.
I will do the press tests , keep vigilant and get him here as soon as he will, we are all on him to do presure shifts.


I do appreciate your balanced advice

[McRobb]

slhood, on 22 June 2011 - 01:44 AM, said:

Thanks all for the comments.
I will do the press tests , keep vigilant and get him here as soon as he will, we are all on him to do presure shifts.


I do appreciate your balanced advice

I am glad that someone mentioned the seat cushion. I went 5 years with no problem and did not realize that my air cushion had developed a leak and once it went flat, then the pressure sore developed in one evening.

No one told me that these cushions need replaced at least every three years so watch your equipment constantly and make sure you replace things when they first start to be a problem. Your equipment provider can give you an idea of when things should be replaced. Lot of that depends on what insurance/program you are on as well. Just be vigilent with equipment.

Best wishes as you walk this road with your son. He is lucky to have you there.

[Heuer]

I am a quad c3/c4 complete since Aug, 2008. I have had one pressure sore on my heal from rehab. I use a
cream called TRI DERMA from ALLEGRO MEDICAL which can be found online. I use this cream on any red spot
or skin abbrasion. This stuff really works.... I have an air bed that turns me every 4,8 or 20 minutes by
INVACARE TURN Q PLUS. Pressure sores is nothing to play with. Keep a close watch.