pressure sores

[grandmacath]

could anyone answer this question for me ?can you name any chronic diseases that can cause pressure sores, and why it takes longer to recover? also what aids can be used to help to prevent pressure sores ? thanks

[beryllium]

Hi Grandmacath, air mattresses will help to prevent pressure sores..... anybody reduced to being bed ridden is at risk....

http://www.beds-electric.co.uk/Medical%20Mattr esses.htm

[daleroy]

I was told they put me in a beb that would slowly rock side to side but I'm sorry I don't know where you can get one

[kazza12345]

diabetes and cancer are two diseases that can leave you more vulnerbale to pressure damage, but really any long term chronic illness that limits your mobility could to ... ie if you had to sit more often, or be in bed more often that the normal course of things. Even a 14 year old with a broken leg is more at risk because of the lack of mobility. Preventing pressure sores can be done by the flash beds as suggested, and also you can get pressure relieving cushions. However the main way to prevent them is to move around often (even if its just rolling onto your side in bed), or preventing specifivc parts comming in contact with any pressure (eg raising heels off the bed by means of a pillow) a good healthy diet is important in preventing pressure sores too

[kazza12345]

try this : http://www.judy-waterlow.co.uk/downloads/Water low%20Score%20Card.pdfthis is the standard tool that hospitals use to assess a persons risk from pressure and it tells you on there the things that increase the risk - you simply add up the scores to reach their score,

[beryllium]

unfortunately, not everyone is able to move around in bed... hense the reason for the beds i have posted. Having done palliative care for very serious M.S patients, they were in these beds for a very good reason, and thankfully still being cared for at home.

I dont think they are ''flash beds'' unless that is what they are now called.

[grandmacath]

i would like to thank you all for your very helpfull answers i can now complete my course thanks again

[kazza12345]

sorry if i accidentally rubbished your answer, beryllium!
I really didn't mean to ... i was just thinking in the normal course of things the measures i've mentioned would be the first steps, whereas being on a pressure relieving bed would be the very last steps, due to their prohibitive price. You are of course completely right that there are people who can't move themselves in bed, but even then, good nursing care would include turning the person, or passive exercises unless they were in their last days wouldn't it? I have no experience of nursing m.s. patients, although i am a macmillan nurse, so my experience is mainly in the field of cancer. Of course things are probably different for m.s. patients, and you can get beds that are actually made of balls being pumped around so you are "floating" on them, but i was limiting my answer to a general sense, seeing as that we didn't know any details

[beryllium]

Thank you Kazza, :-), yes i agree on the movements and exercise, one of my charges was rather large, to say the least, so a slip sheet was needed to move him and good nursing care was paramount in all our patients.

I had the priviledge of working along side Macmillan nurses aswell, and did my first bladder wash with a lovely nurse ;-) from this charity. I too worked for a charity.

I then was diagnosed with M.S, and now i'm a bed bod too lol.... i am progressive so i know my future per se..... out my way!!! woman in a wheelchair coming through!!!

Take Care....

B. xxxx

[silverdaler]

Beryllium, i think i can speak for everyone when i say i hope you get as much love and attention that you may need yourself as you have devoted to others in your work .
God bless !
x

[alijangra]

Go to http://www.nice.org.uk

This is the website for The National Institute for Clinical Excellence. They provide guidelines for best practice in a variety of subjects, all up to date and research based.

They have published guidelines for pressure relieving devices, and pressure ulcer management which are free to download.

Chronic diseases that can make people more susceptable to pressure sores are:
CVA (stroke)
MS
Diabetes
Neurological disturbance.

There are many risk factors broken down into two sections:
Extrinsic (factors from outside body) eg
Pressure
Friction
Shear
Moisture

Intrinsic (factors from inside body) eg
Poor nutrition
Smoking
Circulatory problems