How can pressure sores be prevented and cared for?

  Pressure sores are caused by long-term pressure on local tissues, impaired blood circulation, continuous ischemia and hypoxia of local tissues, and lack of nutrition, resulting in loss of normal skin function and tissue breakdown and necrosis.  1. Risk factors causing pressure sores (1) Local factors: The traditional concept is that pressure sores occur mainly because the patient is bedridden for a long time and does not change position for a long time; the skin is often stimulated by moisture and friction. The new concept is that the three main physical forces that cause pressure sores are pressure, friction, and shear, usually due to the combined action of two to three forces.  (2) Systemic factors: Systemic factors that cause pressure sores include coma, paralysis, general malnutrition, old age, frailty, long-term fever, cachexia, edema, etc. In recent years, a large number of clinical practices have not only confirmed the role of the above-mentioned systemic factors in the occurrence of pressure sores, but also summarized some quantitative indicators for clinical reference.  2. Prevention, treatment and care of pressure ulcers (1) Correct assessment: The commonly used assessment methods are Norton’s score, which indicates that a patient is prone to pressure ulcers when the score is ≤ 14, and Braden’s score, which indicates that the lower the score, the higher the risk of pressure ulcers. The implementation of focused prevention for high-risk patients after evaluation allows for the rational allocation and utilization of limited medical resources. The medical education network has shown that massage does not help prevent pressure sores because the reddening of soft tissues under pressure is a protective response of normal skin, which will generally recede automatically 30-40 min after the pressure is lifted and no pressure sores will form; if the reddening continues, it indicates soft tissue damage, and massage will certainly increase the degree of damage.  (2) Intermittent release of local pressure is the primary measure to prevent decubitus ulcers. 30° side lying position change method can effectively relieve the pressure on the bony prominence and improve the effect of pressure ulcer prevention.  The semi-recumbent or sitting position time is shortened to within 30 min each time; skin damage caused by friction can be reduced by using protective films (transparent dressings such as 3MTegaderm) and protective dressings.  (3) Good skin care: The main thing is to keep the skin clean and dry to avoid moisture, friction and excremental stimulation. The bed should be kept flat and clean, dry and of appropriate thickness, and for those who are incontinent, vomiting and sweating, they should be scrubbed clean in a timely manner, not using a broken potty, and not pulling hard when using it. To moisturize dry skin where pressure sores occur, spray local skin twice a day with Sai Skin Run.  (4) Improve the patient’s general nutritional status: For those who are bedridden, cachectic or seriously ill, attention should be paid to strengthening nutrition and giving high-protein, high-vitamin meals according to their condition. Those who cannot eat should be given nasal feeding, and if necessary, rehydration, blood transfusion and intravenous infusion of high nutrients to enhance resistance and tissue repair ability.  (5) Tools used to prevent pressure sores: Pressure-reducing facilities include dynamic pressure-reducing facilities and static pressure-reducing facilities. Dynamic pressure-reducing facilities such as air beds are ideal for preventing pressure sores, using electronic inflatable pumps to inflate or deflate at regular intervals, thereby changing the contact area between the body and the mattress and reducing local pressure.  (6) Treatment: The treatment of pressure sores is based on a combination of local treatment, supplemented by systemic treatment. It is currently believed that moistening under aseptic conditions is beneficial to the formation of traumatic epithelial cells and promotes the growth of traumatic granulation tissue and the healing of traumatic surfaces, and that keeping the traumatic surface of pressure sores moist is conducive to the growth of granulation and epithelial migration and accelerates healing. Some studies have proved that the treatment of pressure sores with wet healing therapy is satisfactory and can reduce the number of drug changes and shorten the treatment time. According to the different stages of pressure sore wounds, choose suitable new dressings. The transparent patch, transparent sacral tail patch and enhanced decompression patch of Comyeel (comyeel) wound care series have hydrocolloid components, which can improve local blood supply and oxygen supply through the change of oxygen partial pressure of the skin, its surface is smooth and friction is small, reducing the shearing force of the pressurized area, while absorbing skin secretions and maintaining normal PH value and suitable skin It can also absorb skin secretions and maintain normal skin pH and temperature. It can prevent and care for stage I pressure sores. For pressure sores that are deep to the bone and poorly treated by conservative treatment, surgical treatment can be used to accelerate healing.  (7) Psychological care: Pressure sores mostly occur in the elderly who are bedridden for a long time or in those who cannot take care of themselves due to spinal cord injury or limb paralysis, who often suffer from prolonged illness and are prone to anxiety, pessimism, despair and other negative inferiority complexes, and lose confidence in the treatment of the disease.  (8) Carry out health education to prevent pressure sores by explaining the occurrence and development of pressure sores and knowledge of prevention and care to family members so that they also learn and master the skills to prevent pressure sores and actively participate in the prevention and care of pressure sores. At the same time, strengthen management to raise the full awareness and attention of all medical and nursing staff about pressure sores, focusing on improving nurses’ judgment, observation, understanding and work skills, familiarizing them with the preferred sites of pressure sores, assessing high-risk groups, and working in a targeted manner.