5 March 2021 Garreth Roberts

CAMED Wound Support and Bedsores

"If a patient is cold, if a patient is feverish, if a patient is faint, if he is sick after taking food, if he has a bed-sore, it is generally the fault not of the disease, but of the nursing." - Florence Nightingale

Patients who have mobility challenges, and in particularly those who are bedridden, often tend to develop pressure ulcers, more commonly known as bedsores. Here at CAMED we had a look at what they are, what causes them and how we could treat them.

So, what is a Bedsore?

Bedsores, or pressure ulcers, are sores that develop from prolonged pressure on the skin. They most often form on the skin covering the tailbone, buttocks, ankles, hips, and heels.

The elderly experience bedsores more often than any other group of individuals. They are often confined to their beds or chairs for prolonged periods of time, causing bedsores to form, this is especially rife with patients in late stages of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who are not usually able to ambulate independently.
Anyone who spends a lot of time in one position is at risk for bed sores.

When looking after a loved one or patient, it is important to know exactly what causes bedsores and how exactly treat them.

What causes Bedsores?

Pressure. When prolonged, and uninterrupted pressure is placed on the skin, it limits blood flow to that area. Without proper blood flow, the skin and nearby tissue are starved of nutrients, resulting in skin death. This most often occurs in areas that aren’t covered with as much muscle or fat or, as in the case of most elderly patients, more fragile skin.

What are the Symptoms Bedsores?

Bedsores can form quickly, after just a week of prolonged exposure they can begin to develop. If they are left in contact with the bed or surface, they can become even more severe.

One needs to look out for:

1. Tender areas on the skin
2. Changes in skin texture and color
3. Swollen skin
4. Areas that feel cooler or warmer to touch

Complications of Bedsores

If ignored and left untreated bedsores can have some very serious results. They can turn in to a form of carcinoma { https://www.webmd.com/cancer/what-is-carcinoma} , lead to sepsis which can be deadly. It can also lead to skin infections, bone and joint infections which can cause long-term damage to tissue and cartilage.

Common ways to treat Bedsores

Reduce the pressure on the area, find out what is causing the bedsore this can then be remedied by repositioning the loved one or patient or using pressure-relieving surfaces.
Whether the wound is closed or has developed into an open sore; clean the wound toughly yet gently with a saline solution, then spray CAMED Wound Support on the bedsore making sure to cover the entire sore and it’s surrounds.
If this treatment is not applied the bedsore will become too serious to treat and will require invasive surgery, however, it’s only required in the most serious of cases. The above treatment is almost always the best effective treatment method.

Does it work?

This was Darrel, a 50-year-old man what had diabetes. He had to unfortunately have his left leg amputated due to his diabetes and was left bedridden for months. Over this time, he developed serious bedsore on his tailbone.

Darrel’s care giver got her hands on a bottle of CAMED Wound Support and within the first 16 days of using it the infection was completely gone and was closing. The next 20 days saw the wound close and Darrel was able to lay on his back once again. The medical team that was looking after him now use CAMED Wound Support consistently.