Sow shoulder lesions: Risk factors and treatment effects on an Ontario farm

摘要

Pressure sores occasionally develop on the shoulders of nursing sows. The lesions are similar to bed-sores in people who are confined to a bed or wheelchair. The most frequent sites for pressure ulcers are areas overlying bony prominences. Excessive compression of soft tissues between the prominence and the interface surface (eg. a hospital bed for humans or the farrowing crate floor for sows) results in an interruption of perfusion to the tissues. In humans, if this interruption is continuous for greater than 2 hours the damage to tissues may be irreversible. Pressure sores in sows range in severity from hair-loss and redness to deep decubitus ulcers.