A Simple Test for Likelihood of Developing Bed Sores - Helping Prevent a Serious Complication for Many

February 25, 2021, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Bed sores or pressure injuries don’t sound too serious but they can become life threatening for those suffering from them. When someone is chronically ill or seriously injured and is not able to get out of be or change positions easily they can quickly develop and become infected. Once present they are very difficult to heal. Many people think of them as painful but they often become deadly. In the USA a reported 60,000 people die from them annually.

The Centers for Disease control report the following statistics. Numbers in Canada are expected to be similar.

• In 2004, about 11% had pressure ulcers. Stage 2 pressure ulcers were the most common.
• Residents aged 64 years and under were more likely than older residents to have pressure ulcers.
• Residents of nursing homes for a year or less were more likely to have pressure ulcers than those with longer stays.
• One in five nursing home residents with a recent weight loss had pressure ulcers.

Recently a team of researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center developed a blood testing device to check for risk signs of bed sores.

This PIPChip test allows the analysis of a drop of blood for the biomarkers of pressure injuries. Those patients who are at a higher risk of developing them can be monitored more closely and treated carefully to avoid the sore onset. Preventative treatment includes the adjusting of beds and wheelchairs to change and avoid pressure points, using more padding or cushions, and seeking more regular medical help.

What the researchers found was that identifying two biomarkers in the blood reveals the pressure injury risk of the individual. One measures the levels of fat tissue and the other muscle tissue. These cannot be identified by simply examining an individual physically or by scans.

Researchers hope to obtain FDA approval to make this an over the counter test.

If you have a loved one in long term care or who is an invalid you can refer to the Canadian Guidelines for the management of pressure wounds.
 

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

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