Perceptions of pressure ulcers among young men with a spinal injury

About 1000 younger people each year suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury that leaves them wholly or partly paralysed. The majority of these individuals are male. Paralysis leads to a host of physical and often psychological problems. Among the major challenges is the management of pressure and the maintenance of skin integrity. Long periods of immobility and loss of sensation make people with a spinal cord injury prone to developing pressure ulcers. While specialist spinal injury units have pioneered a holistic approach to the rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injuries, there has been little research conducted in the UK on the experiences and coping mechanisms of these patients. The study reported here sought to examine the perceptions and experiences of a sample of young men with a spinal cord injury in relation to pressure management and skin integrity, and their experiences of care. The results suggest that these men were knowledgeable about pressure management and highly motivated to look after themselves, but there was an over-reliance on the specialist unit for support.