Jonathan Rosenfeld's Nursing Homes Abuse Blog : Jonathan Rosenfeld's Nursing Homes Abuse Blog | Lawyer & Attorney : Strellis & Field Law Firm | Bed Sores, Senior Neglect, Elder Abuse, Sexual Abuse: Chicago, Illinois

An article published in the Las Vegas Sun, painted an unfortunately common set of circumstances; an overweight patient goes into a hospital for a medical procedure-- only to acquire pressure sores during their stay.  Sure, the same scenario can (and most certainly does) occur with people of average stature, but there definitely is a disproportionate number of obese patients who enter a hospital or nursing home only to develop a lingering souvenir.

The sun article concentrates on 60-year-old Tyrone Bush, a maintenance man, who was admitted to Desert Springs Hospital for a quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2008.  It was during Bush's recovery at the hospital, that he developed multiple bed sores (or pressure sores, pressure ulcers, decubitus ulcers) on his buttocks. 

More than two years later, Mr. Bush continues to be plagued from the wounds and requires extensive medical treatment for them including doctors visits and debridement procedures-- where the dead skin is removed to allow the new skin to grow over the open wounds.

Not surprisingly, the hospital where the wounds developed blames the wounds on Mr. Bush himself, implying that the wounds were unpreventable given his size.

Large Patients & The Development Of Bed Sores

Let's face it, obesity is an epidemic.  By some accounts, more than 40% of the adult population is obese.  However, the same preventative techniques for 'average' patients most definitely applies to their larger counterparts.

Regular relief of pressure for the body is the most important preventative measure to prevent development of bed sores in all patients-- particularly the immobile.  When it comes to a larger patient, simply saying the patient is too big to move is not appropriate.  Rather, if one person can not safely move the patient, two, three or even four staff members should be summoned for assistance.

Related:

What can hospitals do to reduce the rate of bed sores in their facilities?

What is ‘turning’ and why is it important to prevention of bed sores?

If a lawsuit or claim is filed against a facility where a person developed bed sores, what type of damages is the person entitled to?

Where can I learn more about the laws applicable to people who develop bed sores in nursing homes or hospitals?

Bed Sores, Nursing Home Injury Laws

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On the heels of the Nursing Homes Abuse Blog's recent discussion regarding an increase in hospital-related pressure sore cases, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a report further confirming the problem.  Perhaps most the most startling finding from the agency's report is that hospitalizations for bed sores (also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, pressure sores) have increased by more than 80% from 1993 to 2006.  This increase includes people who were admitted to the hospital because of pressure sores or developed them while being treated for another condition in the hospital.

Among the more disturbing 'highlights' in the report are:

• In 2006, there were 503,300 hospital stays with pressure ulcers noted as a diagnosis--an increase of nearly 80% since 1993.  The pressure ulcer stays totaled $11 billion in hospital costs.
• More than 90% of the pressure ulcer-related hospitalizations were intended to be for medical conditions unrelated to pressure ulcer treatment.
• Compared to stays for all other medical conditions, hospital stays related to pressure ulcers were more often discharged to and long-term care facility and more likely to result in death.
• 72% of adults hospitalized with a secondary pressure sore diagnosis were 65 or older.  In comparison 56.5% of adult patients had a principal diagnosis of pressure ulcers were 65 or older.
• Medicare was the biggest payer for hospital stays related to pressure ulcers- Medicare paid the bills for 3 out of 4 pressure ulcer stays.
• Paralysis and spinal cord injury were common co-existing conditions among younger adults hospitalized principally for pressure ulcers.

Don't let hospitals continue to provide inadequate treatment. Prevention of pressure sores needs to be a priority for hospitals.  If you or a family member developed a bed sore during a hospitalization, we can help.  Strellis & Field has successfully prosecuted bed sore cases for more than 30 years.

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