Disabilities-R-Us

At the beginning of August 2019, I developed much more serious pressure sores than I have ever had before. At the same time I had the most serious skin infection I had had since becoming paralysed in January 2013: the co-incidence of the timing of these raised a strong suspicion that the infection was playing a part in the formation of the pressure sores.

I pointed out the rash to several nurses to no avail. On 10th August, two particularly competent and conscientious nurses realised the seriousness of the rash. They phoned for an out-of-hours locum, who soon arrived with a supply of clarithromycin, presumably having had detailed and accurate information from the two nurses. My infection appeared to be cleared within three or four days. Because it appeared to be connected to the pressure sores, I hoped that these too would heal.

The following week, another nurse ordered a new kind of air mattress and asked for my wheelchair cushion to be inspected. Then, as expected, my pressure sores began to heal: so I asked for the mattress to be cancelled.

It seems to me that the mattress and/or wheelchair cushion caused the sores, but only on skin and possibly other tissue affected by infection. I am left wondering how many mattresses and cushions are replaced when all that is needed is a packet of pills.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarithromycin
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/clarithromycin/

In January 2020, my skin rashes returned, but not my pressure sores. In August I had been ignored by and so had no Clarithromycin for the first 10 days. In January I already had some Clarithromycin and started taking it straight away. It appear to me that the nurses I had in early August were responsible for my pressure sores.