Pad – A device commonly used to reduce the amount of pressure put on a patients body. Pads are also commonly used to provide comfort for patients with varying stage bed sores, to protect an open wound or to help in maintaining a patients position in bed.
Pressure – An important factor to be analyzed when determining the chance of a patient to develop bed sores. Pressure is commonly defined as the force per unit area exerted perpendicular to the plane of interest.
Pressure Redistribution – One of the basic premises regarding reducing pressure sores is the minimize the direct pressure put on the body. In this sense, pressure redistribution surfaces seek to distribute the pressure put on the body. Also known as: pressure reduction and pressure relief surface.
Pressure Sore – Parts of skin that are damaged due to a lack of blood flow because of pressure to that area. Also: pressure sores.
Pressure Ulcer – Skin area that breaks down and opens open when you are in one position for an extended period of time without a weight shift, the pressure reduces the blood supply and the tissue affected dies. Also: pressure ulcers.
Sepsis – (Blood Poisoning) Medical condition which is serious that is characterized by a whole body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection; the infection may be microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissue.
Serum Osmolality – A test that shows the amount of chemicals that are dissolved and absorbed in the liquid part of blood.
Shear – A characteristic looked at when selecting a supportive surface. Shear measures the force per unit exerted parallel to the plane of interest.
Shear Strain – A method of calculating the damage to a supportive surface as a result of shear stress.
Skin Care Assessment – A written and documented assessment of the skin on the patient around the wound to show how the wound is healing or regressing; describe size, color, shape, texture, etc..
Squamos Carcinoma – Skin cancer that starts out looking like a bump or red scaly patch of skin, often found on the ear rim, face and lips.
Stages of Bed Sores – 4 stages based on severity of the wound:
Stage 1 Bed Sore – Fluctuation in skin temperature; change in tissue consistency; changes in sensation. The sore is definite area of redness in lightly pigmented skin and red, blue or purple in darker skin. Stage 1 bedsores are a warning for caregivers and/or family members to take action because bedsores develop quickly and progress rapidly.
Stage 2 Bed Sore – The top layer of skin (epidermis), dermis, or both have partial thickness skin loss; the sore is looking like an abrasion, blister, or shallow crater at this time. After this stage passes, the bedsore becomes much harder to treat.
Stage 3 Bed Sore – Full thickness skin loss with damage/death of the subcutaneous tissue that can go to, but not penetrate, the connective tissue underneath.; the bedsore will appear as a deeper crater with black edges. The sight of a Stage 3 bedsore is disgusting.
Stage 4 Bed Sore – Full thickness skin loss with destroying tissue leading to tissue death, damage to muscles, bones, or connective structures (joints, tendons); these bedsores appear as large, deep openings in the skin surface which show bone and connective tissue.
Staph Infection – Bacteria that causes many other diseases as a result of infection to tissues of the body; the infection can range from mild to severe; there are more that 30 types of staph infections that can be found in human beings; skin damage can allow the bacteria to go in an opening where the staph is usually not found and lead to infection.
Statute of Limitations – A rule in a common law legal system that defines the maximum amount of time after an event that legal proceedings pertaining to that event can be initiated.
Strep Infection – A group of contagious diseases that develop when bacteria that is normally on the skin or inside the body invade other parts of the body and contaminate the blood or tissues; some strains show symptoms and some are fatal.
Support Surface – A device designed to redistribute the pressure generated by a person’s body weight. Common devices to redistribute pressure include: pressure relieving mattresses, mattress overlays, seat cushions or heel protectors.
Surgical Debridement – Using a surgical tool to cut and remove the dead tissue from a wound to clean it out.
Tissue Tolerance – The resilience of the skin and supporting structures to endure and handle the effects of pressure without adverse reactions or breakdown.
Tunneling – A connection through a solid body which has end open from entering and exiting and otherwise is closed.
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