What is pressure damage?

It is an injury to the skin or tissue underneath the skin.  Pressure ulcers are caused by prolonged pressure to an area.  They can happen to anyone but are more common in people who spend long periods of time in bed, sitting in chairs, wheelchairs or are immobile. It can take just 20 minutes for the depth of tissue under the skin from excess pressure or shear to rapidly deteriorate.

Which part of the foot can be affected?

  • Heels
  • Bunions
  • Ankles
  • Anywhere where the bone is prominent

What are the signs of pressure damage?

Signs of pressure damage can be separated into early symptoms and late symptoms.

Early symptoms

  • Skin changing colour. This can include redness in lighter skin and purple or blue patches in darker skin. This can look like a bruise. 
  • Patches of discolouration not changing colour when pressed (blanching). 
  • The area may feel spongy or hard and may be warm to touch.
  • The area can sometimes be painful

Later symptoms

  • Blisters or open wounds.
  • Deep wounds.
  • Wounds with areas or dark brown or black in the centre

How to offload pressure from your feet

The aim is to remove and reduce pressure to the feet.  This can be done by:

  • Positional changes every two hours for patients who spend long periods of time in bed.
  • Using a profiling bed with a knee break.
  • Using a pillow under the calves to stop the heels touching the mattress.
  • Elevating the feet when sitting, using a footstool which allows the heels to float off the ground                  

A healthcare professional may give a boot or inflatable wedge to use in bed and when sitting  

For further information or if you develop a problem with your feet, please contact your nearest podiatry clinic on

Carlisle – 01228 608020
Penrith – 01768 245628
Workington – 01900 705120
Whitehaven – 01946 68635

 

 

 

Confidentiality

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For further information on confidentiality contact the Information Governance Team:

Information.Governance@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 603961

Feedback

We appreciate and encourage feedback, which helps us to improve our services. If you have any comments, compliments or concerns to make about your care, please contact the Patient, Advice & Liaison Service:

Pals@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 814008 or 01946 523818

If you would like to raise a complaint regarding your care, please contact the Complaints Department:

Complaints@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 936302