Bedsores are lesions caused by the weight of our body pressing against bony regions of our skin. When we press on the bedsore, it starts as redness that doesn’t disappear. Blistering, warmth, itching, swelling, and a change in the color of the skin around the wound are all possible side effects. Bedsores can occur on our shoulders, back below our wrist, or in our hip bone, and our heels after lengthy durations in bed. Our buttocks, sides of arms, and legs may be affected if we’re in a chair or a wheelchair. 

 

Ankles, shoulders, knees, back of the head, ears, spines, and blades are all possible sites for bedsores. We can compress blood vessels between our skin and our bones due to pressure on the same region over time. The muscles and tissues closest to our bones are the ones that take the most punishment. Because of the potential for harm beneath our skin’s surface, even a minor pressure sore on our skin could be dangerous.

 

Using specific wound dressings and compression bandages will keep the sore covered. It will prevent the infection from spreading and worsening and keeps the sore moist at the same time. Covering the sore allows it to recover faster and safer than displaying it in a harsh environment which is not safe for wounds to be lying around uncovered.

 

How to apply cover in bedsore

 

It is important to cover a sore because, unlike any ordinary wound, bedsores refer to a break of skin that fails to heal as it should be naturally, while a normal wound is traumatic. Here are the following actions if elevation, manual pressure, and gauze haven’t stopped the bleeding:

 

  • If the injured person’s wound is stable and awake, encourage them to take beverages to replace blood volume.

 

  • To make a compression bandage, cut strips of cloth from clothing, if necessary. Wrap some strips around the wound and apply them.

 

  • Wrap the limb and the wad of strips in a longer piece of cloth and bind the ends together. The pressure should be sufficient to halt the bleeding but not so tight that it acts as a tourniquet. It should be able to fit the finger under the known tightness test.

 

 

  • Check the injured person’s toes and fingers beyond the bandage to ensure the pressure bandage isn’t excessively tight. Loosen the bandages if they aren’t heated or pink.

 

  • Please make sure the bleeding has stopped by checking it frequently.

 

  • Loosen the bandage if the limb shows signs of poor circulation like being blue, pale, numb, or chilly.

 

 

Cleaning and dressing a bedsore

 

It is critical to keep pressure injuries clean, moist, and protected. It reduces the danger of infection while also hastening the healing process. Clean pressure injuries after each dressing change to facilitate recovery. Make sure to use the right cleanser and wound dressing for the job.

 

 

  • If wound dressings get dry, they may fuse with new cells, resulting in additional tissue loss when dressings are removed. Before they dry out, remove or change the dressings.

 

  • Other methods of wound healing require the offloading of pressure on damaged areas.

 

  • Antibiotics and septics, like povidone-iodine and hydrogen peroxide, are hazardous to young cells and should be avoided.

 

  • Heat lamps and alcohol-based drying treatments are not recommended. They dry up wounds and can kill fresh tissue that is too fragile to survive.

 

 

Moisture addition

 

Keeping the wound bed clean and moist is critical to promoting healing. Pressure injuries can be kept moist with the use of certain dressings. To prevent liquids and bacteria from accumulating, loosely cover areas with dressings. Hydrogels can also aid in moisture retention.

 

Dressings of many kinds

 

Dressings come in a variety of flavors. Using a specific dressing means following the manufacturer’s directions. Consider modifying the treatment approach if a wound does not react to one type of dressing.

 

 

Exudate is absorbed by hydrocolloids, which form a non adhesive gel. This aids in the preservation of a moist wound environment. Hydrocolloids also help to keep the wound dry and free of bacteria.

 

 

Water-based gels and dressings sheets called hydrogel to keep the wound moist. They’re also relaxing and can help with pain relief.

 

 

Transparent films are thin and flexible, and they help keep wounds dry and free of bacteria.

 

 

Gauze that is moist helps to keep the moist wound while also absorbing excess fluid. Saline should be damp, not wet, on the gauze. Gauze that is too wet might weaken the tissue around it.

 

 

Exudate is absorbed by the foam, which keeps the wound wet. It is used to treat or cover wounds.

 

 

Alginates are seaweed-based dressings that are extremely absorbent. When wound exudate is mixed with the dressing, a gel is formed, which aids in keeping the wound bed wet.

 

 

Collagen absorbs exudate and aids in keeping the wound moist. It may also encourage the growth of new tissue.

 

 

These super absorbent dressings are antimicrobials that aid in preventing and treating infection. These dressings come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

 

Cons of using pressure bandage

 

When a pressure bandage is wrapped around an extremity too tightly, it becomes a tourniquet. When a person’s blood supply is cut off, the tissues cut off from oxygen-rich blood flow can be irreversibly destroyed, leading to limb amputation. If we use a pressure bandage, keep checking around it to make sure we haven’t tightly tied it, or that swelling hasn’t made it excessively tight, but try to keep the pressure reasonable.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Covering a wound may assist us in controlling the bleeding and allowing the blood to clot more effectively over a wound in some cases. Putting pressure when covering should not be overly tight, as this will prevent blood from flowing through the arteries. Wound dressings can also prevent the venom from entering the bloodstream after a deadly snake bite.

 

Sores heal faster when you eat well. Every day, make sure you’re getting the right amount of nutritional foods & drinks and protein. Here in AvaCare Medical, we care. From foods to mobility aids products, name it, we got you! For more information, it would be best to reach us here through email at info@avacaremedical.com or contact us here at 1-877-813-7799.