Pressure Care and Moisture Lesion Awareness

A pressure ulcer is an injury to the skin and the deeper tissue beneath it. This happens when pressure is applied to the same area of skin for a period of time and cuts off its blood supply It is more common if a person is restricted to a bed or chair for an extended period of time.

Moisture lesions are an injury that occurs on the skin and occurs by exposure to excessive moisture from urine, faeces, sweat and weeping wounds.

Anyone can get a pressure ulcer, but the following things can make them more likely to occur:

• Being confined to bed with illness or after surgery
• Inability to move some or all of the body (paralysis)
• Obesity
• Urinary incontinence and bowel incontinence
• Medical conditions that affect blood supply, make skin more fragile or cause movement problems
• Being over 70 – older people are more likely to have mobility problems and skin that's more easily damaged through dehydration and other factors

Pressure UIcer Prevention training is important because it teaches staff the correct knowledge and skills to effectively prevent pressure ulcers, how they develop, and how they can be treated.

Not looking after them properly can be life-threatening to the patient because it could lead to blood poisoning and gangrene. It could also be seen as a safeguarding issue as they often develop due to neglect, poor care and not being treated properly.