Create a 11 page essay paper that discusses Causes of heel pressure ulcers.Download file to see previous pages Pressure ulcers among elderly hospital patients diminish quality of life and increase the

Create a 11 page essay paper that discusses Causes of heel pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcers among elderly hospital patients diminish quality of life and increase the cost of hospital care. The development of ulcers on heel area is a serious problem, requiring lengthy hospital stays and periods of disability, and often leads to lower limb amputation.Management of heel ulcers requires a thorough knowledge of the major risk factors for ulceration in the heel region.The most common risk factors for ulceration in the heel region resulting from a combination of several problems including neuropathy, inadequate blood supply, and abnormal pressure on the heal bones. Problems of the heel ulcer are the threesome of neuropathy, diabetes, and ischemia. Patients determined at high risk for heel ulcers or ulcers at any other location where prolonged pressure may contribute to tissue ischemia and damage require immediate treatment with pressure-reducing or pressure-relieving devices. Ischemia not only has a role in the etiology of the heel ulcer but also after the ulcer has formed, the blood supply required to heal it is several times more than is necessary for the previously intact skin. Heel ulceration, on average, costs 1.5 times more than metatarsal ulceration. limb salvage of the heel is two to three times less likely than metatarsal salvage. The exact incidence of diabetic heel ulcers is not known, but the incidence of pressure heel ulcers in patients with and without diabetes ranges from 19% to 32%. Forefoot surgery usually leads to rehabilitation, while heel surgery more often leads to limb loss and functional disability.

The heel is the second leading site for development of pressure ulcers after the sacrum. The causes of the heel pressure ulcers are the chosen topic as the author works with in a general rehabilitation unit where the majority of causes of heel ulcers are due to immobility, Heel pressure ulcers are painful, can take up to several months to heel, and may contribute to other serious complications such as cellulites, osteomyelities, and loss of the affected limp or even death (Tourtual et al 1997). Marlin (2000) state that heel pressure ulcers can cause prolonged recovery and increased length of hospital stay results in a lengthened rehabilitation phase and causes a delay in return to normal daily activities.

Main Body

Surgical procedures increasingly have been recognized as an important risk factor in the development of pressure ulcers. A limited but developing body of knowledge supports the fact that numerous surgery-related factors are associated with pressure ulcer risk. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery have been identified as being at higher risk than surgical patients overall. Patients who undergo cardiac surgery were found to have additional identifiable risks for developing pressure ulcers.

The research question is clearly defined with in the introduction and this gives a clear focus to the paper.