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PRAFO, Bariatric, Pressure Ulcers Derek Jones PRAFO, Bariatric, Pressure Ulcers Derek Jones

Heel Protection for the Plus-Size Patient: What the Guidelines Do Not Say

You might expect the guidance on pressure ulcer prevention to have plenty to say about protecting the heels of larger patients, but that is not the case. In this article I want to show where the guidance goes quiet, what the research evidence really says about body size and heel ulcer risk (it is not what most people assume), and how I suggest thinking about the problem instead: as a question of equipment fit rather than a question of risk scores.

A note on language before we start. Following the Obesity UK "Language Matters" guidance, I use person-first phrasing for people, and I keep the word "bariatric" for equipment, pathways and products, where it remains the standard term. In manual handling circles, "plus-size" is the preferred word for the person, and I follow that convention here.

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