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Insider tips
Preventing Bedsores
Make certain the nurses provide care as follows (see "How Bedsores Can Be Prevented"):
* Turn patient every two hours.
* Keep skin clean and dry.
* Immediately remove excrement and clean the skin with antibacterial soap in case of incontinence.
* Provide routine skin care and massage bony areas every eight hours and more often as needed.
* Place heel pads.
* Place sheepskin under buttocks.
* Place drawsheet.
* Use drawsheet to move patient up in bed.
* Never allow any part of skin to drag on the sheet.
* Obtain anti pressure mattress.
Treating Bedsores
Make certain that the nurses are providing care as follows (see "What to Do When Prevention Fails"):
* Clean the wound with irrigation and surgically remove all necrotic (dead) tissue one time only.
* Increase blood flow to the affected area.
* Absorb drainage away from the center of the wound while keeping it moist. Do not let it dry out.
* Avoid any pressure on the wound area.
* Do not disturb the wound in any manner. The initial healing stage is very
delicate.
* Test the blood for the patient's nutritional status and improve it if needed.
* Test the blood for anemia and correct it if needed.
* If diabetes is present, check the blood sugar every eight hours and keep the blood glucose levels between 90 and 180. |
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by T.Sharon
