Mobile Doctors Group Plc : Increasing Number Of Patients Affected By Bedsores In UK Hospitals
02/06/2012 | 08:30am
Increasing Number Of Patients Affected By Bedsores In UK
Hospitals
Date: Monday, February 6th, 2012
According to official figures from the Office for National
Statistics (ONS), more than 28,000 people died in UK
hospitals in 2010 after having experienced neglect and poor
care from hospital staff.
More than 27,000 were affected by bedsores and infected
wounds, while the remaining 1,000 passed away after becoming
dehydrated and malnourished, the Telegraph reports. The death
toll from bedsores and wound infections has risen by 50% in
10 years, the article claims.
The figures are shocking because bedsores are fully
preventable in the majority of cases. When a patient spends
longer periods in bed, they need to regularly turn and shift
their body position to avoid excessive pressure on tissues.
However, when patients are not able to move on their own it
is the hospital staff's responsibility to check for tissue
damage and to turn patients.
Even though not all fatalities were directly caused by
infected wounds and bedsores, the fact that they affected
such a huge number of patients suggests very poor level of
care, the Telegraph says.
Overall, bedsores were listed on death certificates of
218 patients in England and Wales, while over 2,100 died of
blood poisoning, primarily caused by wound infections, ONS
figures reveal. More than 25,000 died from other conditions
but also experienced bedsores. In addition, 1,316 patients
died with malnutrition and dehydration, with those being the
direct cause of death in over 200 cases.
