Chronic Wounds

Pressure sores

Bedsores,  known also as pressuresores, pressure  ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are lesions caused by many factors such as: unrelieved pressure; friction; humidity; shearing forces; temperature; age; continence and medication.

Pressure sores most often appear on portions over bony or cartilaginous areas such as sacrum, elbows, knees, ankles etc.

In the beginning the bedsore appears as non blanchable redness that does not disappear after pressure is relieved. Then redness develop into a small scratch which can further develop as a deep wound extending into the subcutaneous tissue layer, muscle or even bone.

Picture 1- body parts, where pressure sores appear more frequently

Picture 2- Stages of presssure sores

Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the bone marrow or of the bone, marrow, and endosteum. After traumatic bone damages, especially open breaking, bedsores and other unhealing wounds it is usual for osteomielitis to develop. Bacteriums get into bone and create constant inflammation and bone decomposition. The infection that causes osteomyelitis can also start in another part of the body and spread to the bone through the blood.Consequences from untreated osteomielitis can be the following: bone decomposition, damaged liver, spleen, kidney, blod poisoning, cancer.

Symptoms:
Fever, irritability or lethargy, pain in the area of the infection, swelling, warmth and redness over the area of the infection,a passageway that opens in the skin through which pus or fluid leaks

There are main types of osteomyelitis:

Acute osteomyelitis.In this case the bone infection develops within two weeks of an initial infection, injury or underlying disease and may respond to antibiotic treatment.
Haematogenous osteomyelitis. Infection spreads into a bone from the bloodstream. Mostly affects children.
Chronic osteomyelitis. Infection can be spread through the blood or directly into the bone as a result of injury or other trauma. If acute osteomyelitis is not treated properly it can become established and produce permanent, destructive changes to bone. Chronic osteomyelitis can also develop as a complication of apre-existing infection. It can be treated by combination of antibiotics and surgery.