In the prevention of bedsores, it is important to take care of the skin, a proper lifestyle, including a sufficient drinking regime, support for movement and rehabilitation, and positioning. Experts from the Louis Pasteur University Hospital (UNLP) Košice remind that a lying patient needs to be positioned every two hours and at night every three hours.
According to them, it is important that loved ones who take care of a bedridden patient at home know how to properly relieve the risk parts of the body. The UNLP states on its website that the lower back, head, elbows or heels are the most at-risk areas. When lying on the side, it is the ear, shoulder, knees, but also the shoulder blades.
It is not always necessary to change the position completely, sometimes it is enough, for example, to change only the position of the hand, support the knee or shoulder blade. Positioning also depends on the diagnosis and functional status of the patient. If, for example, he has pneumonia or breathing problems, lying on his back is not suitable. At the same time, experts recommend testing whether individual positions are comfortable, first on each other.
“Investment in preventive measures (quality mattresses, staff training, self-diagnostics) is significantly cheaper than treating pressure ulcers that have already occurred,” reminds a doctor from the Trauma Surgery Clinic UNLP Košice Marián Rošák. If someone does not have positioning aids at home, they can improvise and help yourself with, for example, different pillows or towels.
Rošák explained that decubitus is formed if the tissue is pressed and there is worse blood flow. It occurs inconspicuously, but its consequences are painful for the patient. Treatment can last a month or even years. The first stage is redness, the second is a surface defect, and the higher the stage, the more problematic the treatment. In the worst cases, blood poisoning occurs, which can lead to the death of the patient.
“Statistically, we perceive that women are slightly more prone to developing pressure ulcers compared to men. We consider the age group of patients from 70 to 80 to be critical,” added Alena Kellnerová, deputy of the Nursing Section of UNLP Košice.
