How To Prevent Bedsores When Using Wheelchair For Long Time?

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Summary

Some patients who are in wheelchairs for a long time are most likely to suffer from bedsores.
The disease’s onset is mostly long-term pressure parts, good prevention, timely pressure reduction, effectively avoiding bedsores, reducing the harm.
More than a long-term wheelchair, how to care for the skin that does not cause pressure sores?

 

 

In reality, only about 5% of the elderly use age-appropriate assistive devices, of which wheelchair vans account for 95%.

And 95% of the wheelchair vans used by the elderly are single-layer canvas seating surfaces with a matzah structure, and some of the cushions added afterward are mostly sewn from the ordinary cloth of the sea surface type, which only has a certain degree of comfort and does not have the function of pressure sore prevention.

Pressure sores, also known as pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers, are caused by long-term pressure on local tissues, resulting in tissue ulceration and necrosis due to continuous ischemia, hypoxia, and malnutrition.
Skin pressure sores are a common problem in rehabilitation and care.
According to the relevant literature, about 60,000 people die from pressure sore comorbidities every year.
Therefore, it is essential to choose a power wheelchair for the elderly to prevent pressure sores.

Older people who have been riding wheelchairs for a long time, especially those who have lost the ability to adjust their position, choose electric wheelchairs with anti-pressure sore function.
TOUSDA G04DLA is a quick-release ergonomically designed high-grade electric wheelchair.
The elderly and disabled are suitable.
The comfortable seat, sensitive control, adequate ventilation and ergonomic seat can effectively reduce pressure sores.

The standing electric wheelchair can prevent osteoporosis, enhance the urinary system’s function, prevent urinary tract obstruction, reduce the occurrence of constipation, and enhance cardiopulmonary function.
Standing is also of great help to the gastrointestinal and digestive system, and at the same time can effectively avoid the occurrence of bedsores, but also enhance the patient’s confidence in the recovery and reduce the burden of family care.

Besides, for older people whose economic conditions do not allow it, the most effective anti-pressure sore prevention is the anti-pressure sore cushion, which has the effect of reducing pressure and stabilizing the sitting posture; the leg capsule design promotes air circulation; the three-layer gel design of the arms and thighs reduces friction and seals tightly.

Wheelchair seat cushion to avoid pressure sores, wheelchair cushion to pay great attention to the wheelchair, wheelchair try to use egg basket type or Roto cushion, this kind of cushion by a large piece of plastic, above a large number of the diameter of about 5cm of the nipple-shaped plastic hollow column, wheelchair each column are soft and comfortable to move, patients sitting on the wheelchair pressure surface into a large number of pressure points, and the patient a little movement, wheelchair pressure points with the direction of the nipple and change, so that you can continuously change the wheelchair pressure points, to avoid the wheelchair often pressure on the same part of the pressure sores caused.

Suppose the wheelchair does not have the above cushion.
In that case, the wheelchair needs to use layer type foam, the thickness of which should be 10cm, the upper layer is 0.5cm thick high-density polychlorinated formate (polyurethane) foam, the lower layer of the wheelchair is medium-density plastic of the same nature, high-density support is vital, medium density is soft and comfortable.
The sciatic node is under tremendous pressure in the sitting position, often exceeding the normal capillary end pressure by 1 to 16 times, making it easy for ischemia to form pressure sores.
To avoid excessive force here, usually in the corresponding place on the wheelchair cushion to dig away a piece, so that the sciatic tuberosity hollow, digging when the front should be in front of the sciatic tuberosity 2.5cm, the side should be in the lateral 2.5cm of the tuberosity, the depth of about 7.5cm, digging after the cushion is concave, the gap in the back, if the above cushion plus the incision, can be quite useful in preventing the generation of pressure sores.
The wheelchair seat cushion can also increase the height of the wheelchair and help stabilize the sitting posture of the wheelchair user.

How can bedsores be prevented and treated daily?

1, Turning can relieve local pressure and promote blood circulation, which is the most effective and critical measure to prevent bedsores.
Turn over once every 1-2 hours, and if the skin turns red, turn over once every hour, alternating between left and right side, flat and prone positions, and using a useful anti-decubitus pad on the pressurized part, which can play a role in local suspension and pressure reduction.

2, Massage can promote blood circulation.
After each turning, it is recommended to massage the compressed parts for 5-10 minutes, and the message should follow the intensity from light to heavy.

3, The mattress should be breathable, soft and hard, good water absorption, available anti-decubitus air mattress), high-density sponge mattress, the bed sheet should be pure cotton, in addition to the sheet can be laid on a cotton bath towel, easy to replace.
The bedsheet should be kept flat, dry, clean, without wrinkles, crumbs and debris; the air mattress should be inflated moderately, and excessive inflation can increase the skin’s pressure.
For the patient to replace the sheets should prevent dragging, pulling, dragging to prevent damage to the skin.

4, Keep the skin clean.
You can use warm water scrubbing 1-2 times a day.
Scrubbing can not use irritating detergent, do not force scrubbing to prevent damage to the skin.
For easy sweating armpits, abdominal muscle groove parts, a small towel can be used to wipe at any time.
To prevent skin damage can be puffed in the local baby hip powder or prickly heat powder.

5, Long-term bedridden or long-term wheelchair, electric wheelchair users should quit smoking and alcohol, tobacco and alcohol stimulation will also aggravate bedsores’ occurrence.

6, Long-term users of wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs should choose wheelchairs with seating adjustments, such as those with a tilt function and a recline function, and make a seating adjustment every hour to reduce the pressure the hip muscles for too long, which can lead to bedsores.

7, Strengthen nutrition and seek medical attention on time.
If the skin is red in the early stage of decubitus ulcers, it can improve after taking measures such as turning and decompression.
When superficial skin ulcers, ulcers and exudate are present, you should go to the hospital to receive treatment.
It is also an excellent measure to prevent bedsores from keeping infrared TDP at home and irradiate the skin for 10-20 minutes after washing every day.

These are the leading measures to prevent bedsores.
Once skin ulceration occurs, it is difficult to treat severe bedsores, and they are very prone to recurrence.

Electric wheelchairs are gradually becoming more popular, saving energy and significantly increasing mobility compared to traditional pushchairs.
However, the prevention of bedsores is a significant issue that cannot be ignored when using an electric wheelchair for a long time.
People who sit in wheelchairs for a long time often suffer from the threat of bedsores.

How can bedsores be prevented by using an electric wheelchair?

How to prevent bedsores are as follows,

1, Those who need to sit on the electric wheelchair for a long time should wash the cushions and backrests diligently and disinfect them.
If you have conditions, you should also put on a breathable anti-decubitus cushion in the summer.

2, Every day when riding a power wheelchair, it is best to carry out the appropriate exercise so that the hips are thoroughly relieved and relaxed.

3, We should pay attention to personal hygiene, change clothes and bathe regularly.
Keep your body dry so that you can effectively prevent bedsores.

4, Choose the ergonomic seat electric wheelchair with anti-decubitus ulcer function, such as TOUSDA electric wheelchair, a variety of “S” ergonomic seat and so on.

If you have the misfortune to get bedsores, how to treat them?

1, Must be treated as early as possible, early detection and early treatment because bedsores are very easy to infect.

2, Diligent change of medication to prevent infection and ensure that the wound is better, faster, or severely troubled.

3, It is essential to protect the infected area from extrusion and collision and keep it ventilated and dry.

 

Conclusion

Decubitus ulcers are tissue ulcers and necrosis caused by long-term pressure on local muscles and the occurrence of continuous ischemia, hypoxia and malnutrition.
Bedsores are highly likely to occur in bedridden patients for long periods or in wheelchairs or electric wheelchairs for long periods and should be prevented early.

However, bedsores are not that scary.
As long as the usual attention to hygiene and awareness to the body ventilation, dryness can solve these problems.
The infrared therapy instrument is still useful in treating bedsores and can be used with medication for better results.

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Mr. Vincent
Mr. Vincent

International Market Director of TOUSDA, Rehabilitation Therapy Products Experts, Son, Husband, and Father.
Passionate about providing high-quality rehabilitation therapy products, especially wheelchair, electric wheelchair, commode wheelchair, commode chair, mobility aids, walking aids, crutch, walking stick, etc., and share the latest news, tips, blogs, advice, knowledge about the medical industry field.
Excited about TOUSDA's mission to become the premier online medical technology platform that empowers caregivers by spotlighting innovative devices and products to achieve optimal patient response and recovery.

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Notes: This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care.
Always follow your health care professional’s instructions.

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