The Dangers of Bed Sores
Your bloodstream supplies your body with nutrients and fresh oxygen and removes wastes like carbon dioxide so that your cells can function. If this supply is cut off, it can cause serious damage to your cells and even lead to cellular death. Bed sores, also called pressure sores, occur when loss of movement causes areas of the body to lose blood supply.
Bed sores are a common problem in hospitals, where patients may be too ill to shift positions in bed. However, nurses can help deter bed sores by rearranging patients regularly. If they fail in this duty, patients can suffer from devastating pressure sores. If you or someone you love has developed bed sores due to medical negligence, you may have grounds for legal action. Contact a tenacious New Jersey medical negligence attorney from Levinson Axelrod, P.A., today at 800-346-5529 to discuss your case.
How Bed Sores Form
Pressure sores typically form on the hips, heels, and buttocks due to staying in the same position for an extended period of time. The pressure of body weight can cut off circulation to these areas, and if the bloodstream is not promptly restored, it can lead to bed sores. Bed sores can start as small red circles, and then quickly progress into open ulcers.
Complications from Pressure Ulcers
For those who are bedridden or paralyzed, pressure sores are frightening because they can cause several dangerous complications, such as:
- Sepsis (blood infection)
- Cellulitis
- Infections in the bones and joints
- Skin cancer
Thus, it is important for bedridden patients to adjust positions regularly in order to prevent pressure ulcers from forming. If patients are unable to do so, nurses should be sure to move patients on a regular basis.
Contact Us
In hospitals and other healthcare facilities, patients deserve thorough, careful attention to make sure that they do not develop bedsores. If a medical professional has failed in this responsibility to you, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation. Please contact a knowledgeable New Jersey medical malpractice lawyer from Levinson Axelrod, P.A., at 800-346-5529 today for more information.

