Pressure Injury
Mobile Wound Care & Wound Care Specialist located in Greater Phoenix, AZ
Pressure injuries affect people who lose their mobility and stay in the same position for extended periods. If you develop a pressure injury, contact Annette Kietur, M.Ed., MSN, FNP-C, WCC, DAPWCA, at Getting Well in Peoria, Arizona. Annette offers mobile wound care to provide specialized pressure injury treatment to people unable to leave home. Call the office to request a pressure injury evaluation or book an appointment online today.
Pressure injuries are sores that develop on areas of your skin that are continually under pressure. They’re also known as decubitus ulcers, bedsores, or pressure sores. They may occur when you’re confined to bed, unconscious, unable to move because you’re in a wheelchair or wearing a cast, or when you’re unable to feel pain.
A pressure injury can occur if your skin’s blood supply gets cut off for an extended period. Insufficient blood flow causes the skin cells to start dying, creating a red, painful area that turns purple. Without treatment, the skin breaks open, creating an open sore.
Pressure injuries are usually very slow to heal, sometimes taking months or years. Healing time is longer if you’re undernourished, frail, overweight, or have conditions like diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD).
The most likely places to develop a pressure injury are:
These areas tend to come under pressure when you sit or lie for long periods. Pressure injuries are preventable if you receive expert care during your period of immobility, including regular turning, physical therapy, and skin care.
Pressure injuries can go through five stages, beginning with stage one, where the area is red and warm. In stage two, the site may have blistering or an open sore, which deepens into a crater in stage three.
By stage four, the tissue damage is severe. You have a large wound that might be affecting muscles, connective tissues, and bones, and is vulnerable to infection. Finally, a pressure injury may become unstageable if there’s full-thickness tissue loss with dead tissue or a scab (eschar) in the wound bed.
Treating a pressure injury typically involves the following:
Annette at Getting Well specializes in treating non-healing wounds like pressure sores. She’s a certified wound care expert with considerable experience helping people recover from pressure injuries. Annette also collaborates with local surgeons to close wounds surgically if required.
Call Getting Well to schedule high-quality pressure injury treatment or book an appointment online today.