Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers, often affect people who spend a lot of time bedridden. These injuries will appear on people who remain immobile for hours or days at a time and they can potentially point to neglect in a nursing home because staff should not leave anyone unattended for that long.
On top of that, bedsores can cause more harm than some people would guess. These dangerous sores could even put a victim’s life at risk.
The impact of bedsores
Johns Hopkins Medicine examines bedsores in nursing home residents. Bedsores cause enough of a problem on their own. They will create places of pain and pressure that can make it impossible for a victim to sleep comfortably. They may even lose their appetite due to the pain, which can pose a major threat to those in their later years.
But bedsores also carry a strong risk of infection. The level of infection a victim may suffer from will depend on several factors, including how robust their immune system is and what sort of infection occurs.
The potential for more severe infection
In the most extreme of situations, it is possible for bedsores to end up afflicted with gangrene or necrotizing bacteria. These bacteria can destroy the tissue in the injured area and then move on to healthy tissue in the surrounding area. Untreated cases can even lead to amputation.
Sepsis may also occur in rare cases. This blood infection has a high mortality rate, with septic shock killing up to 40 percent of its sufferers. Victims can die in as little as three days from the first showing of symptoms, making it a serious condition that needs immediate treatment.