Everything you should know about bedsores is here
What are bedsores:
Bedsores, also known as bedsore ulcers, are areas of skin tissue damage that can lead to serious infections, some of which can be life-threatening. If your skin is exposed to a humid environment and subject to any combination of pressure, shear, friction and heat for a long time, you are at risk. If you use a wheelchair, bedridden, or unable to change your posture, your risk will increase. Bedsores usually appear on the heels, ankles, buttocks, buttocks, back and elbows.
Causes of bedsores
- Friction: occurs when the skin rubs against clothes or bedding. It makes fragile skin more vulnerable to injury.
- Shearing: occurs when two surfaces move in opposite directions; when a person slides over the bed sheet, shearing and friction may occur. When the head of the bed is raised more than 30 degrees, the shearing force of the lower back and tailbone will increase.
- Humidity and heat: The dampness of sweat, urine or feces and the increase in temperature have been clinically proven to cause skin damage.
- Pressure: Prolonged skin pressure will cause the skin to become more fragile and susceptible to bedsores
The four stages of bedsores
According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Group, bedsores are divided into 4 stages:
- Stage 1: The skin looks red and feels warm to the touch. You may also feel pain or itching. For dark skin, bedsores may be blue or purple.
- Stage 2: The affected skin shows more severe damage and is very painful. The wound bed is visible, pink or red, damp, and may also appear as intact or ruptured blisters.
- Stage 3: In this stage, the bedsores are deeper and usually have a crater-like appearance.
- Stage 4: This is the most serious type of bedsore. Patients will have obvious cracks, with exposed muscles, tendons, and bones, making them susceptible to infection.
Countermeasures for bedsores
- Slide draw sheets for assist move protect the skin: the use of smooth sheets has a protective effect on patients with bedsores. Smooth bedding can reduce the friction caused by long-term bedridden patients when moving, and reduce the irritation of the fabric surface to the skin. Therefore, use smooth bedding to treat bedsores The impact is positive.
- Regularly move the body: long time in bed is a burden for elder skin, regular movement of the body can prevent bedsores, by moving the body to reduce the bad effects of long-term stress on the skin. Auxiliary tools can help better movement, the use of slip draw sheet for bedsore can reduce the friction caused by movement, and the use of home bed assist belt lifting can help the caregiver move the patient's body better.
- Keep the environment dry: a humid environment will make the skin fragile, coupled with the influence of friction and pressure, making the probability of elder suffering from bedsores greatly increased. In keeping the lives of patients with bedsore clean and dry, you can use related bedding for maintenance, such as high absorbption incontinence pads and mattress protector. Nursing pads can well absorb the moisture caused by urinary incontinence, while waterproof breathable incontinence mattress cover can protect the mattress from liquids. Invade. It can ensure the dryness of the elder environment and make the skin better.
Bedsore is a very painful thing for the elderly who are bedridden for a long time. As caring family members and friends, we must pay attention to it. The more you know about bedsore, the more you can help the elderly with bedsore get out of the pain of bedsore, not only the body but also Mentally.