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Healing pressure injuries with food in hospital

17 November 2021

Blog
Nutrition and dietetics Rehabilitation
Pressure injuries can occur when force is applied to the surface of the skin. While you are in hospital, your care team will support you with strategies to prevent a pressure injury occurring but if it does your diet can be essential to heal.

Senior Dietitian Amy Ekin explains how hospital food can help to heal a pressure injury.

While you are in hospital, your meal will have been specially designed by dietitians to support healing and wellness. We work closely with the team in the hospital’s kitchen to ensure you will receive a well-balanced diet with the following vitamins, minerals and protein.

  • Protein: required for synthesis of new tissue.
  • Zinc: protein and collagen synthesis and tissue growth and healing.
  • Iron: helps deliver oxygen to wound site.
  • Vitamin C: collagen synthesis and formation of new blood vessels. also helps the immune system and increases absorption of iron.
  • Vitamin A: increases the inflammatory response and stimulates collagen synthesis.
  • Arginine: essential for wound healing and repair.
  • Energy: carbohydrates preferred source of energy, important to have adequate so the body doesn’t utilise protein muscle stores.

Amy’s top three tips to support healing:

  • Try eating 5-6 smaller meals and snacks spread out over the day
  • Choose high energy high protein snacks
  • Drink at least 1.5L of fluid per day
Amy Ekin dietitian St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital
Amy Ekin - Senior Dietitian

Amy Ekin is a Senior Dietitian at St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital.

She has worked across many specialties during her career including oncology, surgical and medical. She is passionate about providing nutrition support to patients to aid recovery to get patients home and living their best life possible.