Skin Care and Prevention of Pressure Sores or Bed Sores

Pressure sores (also called decubiti, or bedsores) are blisters or breaks in the skin. They are caused when the body's weight presses blood out of a certain area. The best treatment of pressure sores is prevention. How much time they take to heal depends on advanced they are.

Facts

• The most common areas for sores are the bony areas—tailbone, hips, heels, and elbows.
• Sores can appear when the skin keeps rubbing on a sheet.
• The skin breakdown starts from the inside, works up to the surface, and can happen in just 15 minutes.
• Damage can range from a change in color in unbroken skin to deep wounds down to the muscle or bone.
• For people with light skin in the first stage of a bedsore, the skin color may change to dark purple or red that does not turn pale under fingertip pressure. For people with dark skin, this area may become darker than normal.
• The affected area may feel warmer than the skin around it.
• Pressure sores that are not treated can lead to hospitalization and can require skin grafts.

Prevention

• Check the skin daily. (Bath time is the ideal time to do this.)
• Provide a well-balanced diet, with enough vitamin C, zinc, and protein.
• Keep the skin dry and clean (urine left on the skin can cause sores and infection).
• Keep clothing loose.
• If splints or braces are used, make sure they are adjusted properly.
• Massage the body with light pressure, using equal parts surgical spirit and glycerin. (Ask a nurse or a pharmacist for advice.)
• Turn a person who is unable to get out of bed at least every 2 hours. Change the person's positions. Smooth wrinkles out of sheets.
• Lightly tape foam to bony sections of the body using paper tape, which will not hurt the skin when peeled off.
• Use flannel or 100% cotton sheets to absorb moisture.
• Provide an egg-crate or sheepskin mattress pad for added comfort.
• Rent an electrically operated ripple bed. These beds have sections that can be inflated separately and at different times.
• Avoid using a plastic sheet or a Chux if they cause sweating.
• When the person is sitting, encourage changing the body position every 15 minutes.
• Use foam pads on chair seats to cushion the buttocks.
• Change the type of chair the person sits in; try an open-back garden chair occasionally.
• Provide as much exercise as possible.