[LadyCPlum]

Originally Posted by Harpua ↗

This brings me back to my ICU days. Some people are so critically sick that turning them causes their blood pressure to tank or their O2 sats to plummet and you can't oxygenate them. Some traumas are so bad they they have external fixators on every limb and you just can't turn them. Or their intracranial pressure shoots up with movement. I've had my arm wrist deep in coccyx wounds. Bad nursing? Try again. Shock and the resulting hypoperfusion with it on top of the listed issues put us behind the 8 ball to begin with. Believe me, there is a guilty feeling when you find that pressure sore. You also get shit from management about it. It's a lose-lose. We do the best we can with what we have to work with.

I don't think most of us had thought of that, gives it a new perspective.

[Harpua]

Originally Posted by LadyCPlum ↗

I don't think most of us had thought of that, gives it a new perspective.

I appreciate your open mind. There are tons of other contributing factors to pressure sores (and deep tissue injury) aside from the things I listed. Poor nutrition, organ failure, etc. I take it very personal when people blame nurses for this. I've been trying to prevent them in people for almost 20 years, along with all of my coworkers. You just can't win every battle, but you sure can fight like hell trying. We do. And two back surgeries by age 38 shows my battle scas trying. We turn those people every two hours at a minimum if they are stable enough for it. I've paid the price. I'm retired from ICU because of it....don't ever call it lazy nursing again. I'm talking to you, lazy-nurses-in-UK commenter.

[Harpua]

Originally Posted by danielsan1971 ↗

When I did my UK nurse training in the '90's, pressure sores were, and I believe still am are a sign of bad nursing.

Get. A. Clue. I can't even believe you would say this. Please, let's discuss this when I'm recovering from spine surgery #3 - fusion. I turn 40 on November 11. And I'm done with bedside nursing from all of the lifting and turning trying to prevent this, and the havoc it caused on my back. I've never wanted to punch someone in the throat for a comment, but you pissed this RN off with your comment. Big time.

[khiarhu]

Originally Posted by Harpua ↗

Get. A. Clue. I can't even believe you would say this. Please, let's discuss this when I'm recovering from spine surgery #3 - fusion. I turn 40 on November 11. And I'm done with bedside nursing from all of the lifting and turning trying to prevent this, and the havoc it caused on my back. I've never wanted to punch someone in the throat for a comment, but you pissed this RN off with your comment. Big time.

I'm no RN, LPN or medical professional of any sort, let me start by saying that, but I have worked as a med-tech on Nocs (night) shift at an 'assisted living facility' (which is also how my back got screwed, so Harpua, I feel your pain)...and although the company I worked for was corrupt and several people were mal-treated by the owners, the staff did their bloody best to keep our residents from being hurt.

That includes pressure sores. I can't tell you guys how many women I knew are now unable to work due to breaking their backs - literally - trying to take care of other people's family members.

And we all got nothing but grief, due to bruises and bed sores and other crap we had 0 control over. So don't assume that stuff like that is caused by inept help/aid - sometimes you just can't avoid it.

Christ, I'm pissed now.

[murofhsirgo]

Originally Posted by curvature ↗

This is one of those maladies that could be waiting in the future, for Anyone.

No?... If you dont think so, I dont think the person in the pic ever thought so, either.

When I was working hospice there were a good many folks there who were down right good people by many accounts... but they were still there and some came in hurting bad already. Of course no one goes to hospice to get better- they go there to die:(

[Gooch_Rash]

The largest bedsore I ever saw was on a very obese woman, at the coccyx area. The size of a dinner plate, it was deep enough for me to put my hand in up to the wrist, and had eroded so much tissue that her spine was easily visible. There was nothing to do but keep her comfortable.

[Wiley]

Originally Posted by Kelseecat65 ↗

who lets something get that bad.

Lazy, uncaring nursing home employees

[Wiley]

Originally Posted by Harpua ↗

I appreciate your open mind. There are tons of other contributing factors to pressure sores (and deep tissue injury) aside from the things I listed. Poor nutrition, organ failure, etc. I take it very personal when people blame nurses for this. I've been trying to prevent them in people for almost 20 years, along with all of my coworkers. You just can't win every battle, but you sure can fight like hell trying. We do. And two back surgeries by age 38 shows my battle scas trying. We turn those people every two hours at a minimum if they are stable enough for it. I've paid the price. I'm retired from ICU because of it....don't ever call it lazy nursing again. I'm talking to you, lazy-nurses-in-UK commenter.

Thank you for the education

[honeysprite]

Not all healthcare providers are good and thank God most aren't bad and some of these poor people are neglected by their families.

[Lyndsay]

I've seen some bad bed sores too. The worst I've seen was a lady got admitted to a nursing home bc her family "didn't want to take care of her anymore" and we ALWAYS do a full body check on ANY pt that comes in (even if they go to the hospital then come back they still get checked) and I undid this pt's depends and rolled her over and ROACHES came crawling out from her coccyx. It took everything in my not to let this woman hear me gagging. It was awful. We reported it to the police and her family got in trouble for elderly abuse.
It is not always bc of the nursing staff! Family members are known for this. Grandma gets a check every month and family is tired of taking care of her and cleaning up piss and shit, so they don't change as often or don't reposition them and even when they see a bed sore they don't care. In nursing home & hospitals all pt's must be repositioned every 2 hours or sooner as needed, also change depends every 2 hours. Even if the pt is in a wheelchair, you still have to reposition. If the pt is unable to be repositioned bc of some medical problem then you try and put pillows under the areas that get the most pressure; hips, coccyx, heels, elbows, shoulders etc.