How Do You Treat Pressure Sores on the Buttocks?
Pressure sores on the buttocks are treated by proper wound care and by repositioning to remove the pressure source, states ClinicalKey. Pressure sores on the buttocks are due to long periods of uninterrupted pressure on the skin, soft tissue, muscle and bone.
There are four stages of pressure sores, according to ClinicalKey. The first stage is redness of the skin, and the second stage is partial thickness skin loss involving the epidermis and dermis. The third stage is full thickness skin loss involving the subcutaneous tissue. The fourth stage involves muscle and bone.
Prevention is the most important factor in managing pressure sores, explains ClinicalKey. For necrotic, deep and poorly healing wounds, surgical debridement may be necessary. If infection of the soft tissue or bone is present, antibiotics are needed.
Pressure sore develop in people who are chair- or bed-bound, elderly patients, hospital inpatients and people with spinal cord injuries, notes ClinicalKey. Those who are more predisposed to developing pressure sores are patients with conditions causing poor wound healing, such as diabetes and nutritional insufficiency, and those with conditions causing low tissue oxygen tension. People with fecal or urinary incontinence are also more prone to developing pressure sores, as urine and feces act as skin irritants to break down skin.
The use of viscoelastic foam mattresses can help prevent pressure sores, states Clinical Key. People at risk of pressure sores should have regular skin inspection and cleansing, and should avoid moisturizing over bony prominences.
