Pressure Injury Complications from Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) very often lead to pressure skin injuries and wounds.

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), approximately 450,000 people in the USA have spinal cord injuries, with 17,000 new SCIs occurring each year.  Most of these are caused by trauma to the vertebral column.  The CDC estimates that the care of these SCIs costs an estimated $9.7 billion each year.

There are four sequelae of spinal cord injuries which predispose pressure injuries and wounds: 1) paralysis or severe muscle weakness below the waist; 2) partial or complete loss of sensation; 3) bladder and bowel incontinence; and 4) muscular spasms making repositioning and unloading difficult/impossible.

Paralysis limits mobility and activity, causing muscle weakness, atrophy, as well as many other problems.  Macro and microcirculation are affected which affects the health of the entire area including muscle, bone, lymphatics and skin.  Loss of muscle creates less “cushioning” and more exposure of boney prominences.  Bone loss not only increases propensity for fracture but also causes minor distortions that can create more localized areas of pressure.

Muscle activity is the major force in venous blood return to the heart while also promoting lymphatic activity to “pull” fluid out of tissues and return it to the upper body (and returned into blood vessels).  Decreasing muscle activity increases venous stasis (and thus an increase in thrombophlebitis) and fluid accumulation (edema).  Both venous stasis and edema markedly increase the predisposition of the skin to injury and breakdown.

Urine and feces combine urea, the protein dissolving compound, with bacteria to create a contaminated macerated environment which nearly always causes skin breakdown if not cleaned.  This starts as weakening or loss of the keratin layer of the skin epidermis (skin barrier).  Micro-fissures are then created which are the perfect environment to promote bacterial colonization, further weakening the skin.  Skin breakdown usually soon follows.  Because incontinence requires an immediate dressing change, these patients need at least one to three complete changes every day.  This is virtually impossible for nurses to accomplish.

Miracle Dressing Wound Care System is the Answer for Stage 1 and 2 Spinal Cord Related Injury Pressure Sores

Miracle Professional Dressing has been shown to help prevent and heal Stage 1 and 2 pressure injuries.

Miracle Professional Dressing (MPD) does not need to be changed with incontinence.  The dressing stays in place for approximately 21 days and only needs a simple soap water rinse and blot dry over the dressing. MPD is impregnated with Miracle of the Sea® Natural Marine Extract™ in Aloe Vera Gel. The ingredients of our patented Natural Marine Extract have been shown to improve the speed and quality of healing and improve the resilience of the healed skin.

Additional humectant such as the Miracle of the Sea® Natural Marine Extract™ in Aloe Vera Gel can be quickly and easily applied through the permeable Miracle Dressing if desired. All of this should take less than two minutes.

Since one of the specific sensory receptors is pressure, people with normal sensation automatically move with unconscious repositioning at the start of prolonged skin pressure.  Loss of skin sensation, including these receptors, nearly always results in pressure injuries even in young, healthy people.  Without feeling the pinching, pressure and pain associated with prolonged pressure, skin ischemia and injury/wounds develop. To mitigate this issue, conscious repositioning and pressure-release devices such as sitting donuts, and sheepskin heel and elbow guards are essential adjuncts to Miracle Professional Dressing.

Thus, combining all these SCI sequelae results in the universal problem of pressure skin injuries and ulcers, especially over the buttocks, sacrum, heels, ankles and knees.  When the SCI is in the neck, quadripelegia (tetraplegia) can affect other pressure areas like the elbows, shoulders and spine.

Knowing the predispositions for pressure injuries (wounds / sores), MPD is the perfect solution to markedly reduce the incidence of these injuries.  Stopping these injuries saves stress to the patient and his/her family, reduces costly healing treatments, halts further advancement of the injury, and limits the scaring tissue that predisposes the skin to further breakdown.  This is because healed and scar tissue is weaker than normal skin.

Miracle Dressing is a durable, protective, breathing “second skin” which stays on the vulnerable skin or healing wound for approximately 21 days and minimizes pinching or friction damage.  The ingredients of the impregnated Natural Marine Extract™ have been shown to not only dramatically improve the healing process, but also improve the health of vulnerable, atrophic and damaged skin.  Thus, MPD not only protects and heals but helps make the skin healthier and more resilient to future injury.