How are pressure sores prevented?
A child should change positions regularly. If he/she is sitting for long periods of time in a wheelchair, he/she should do pressure lifts. To do a pressure lift he/she should lift his/her buttocks off the seat by pushing up with his/her arms on the armrest or back tyres. This should be done ten times hourly. A cut out cushion may be placed on a chair under the buttocks to help prevent pressure sores. If redness of the skin or rubbing is caused by badly fitting clothes or braces, they must be altered immediately. The child must not wear them until they have been altered. If the spina bifida on the child’s back is large and raised it may rub against the back of a chair or wheel chair. This may also cause a pressure sore. It can be prevented by placing a cushion with a hole cut out or an inner tube from a tyre, behind the child when he/she is sitting.
Steps that help keep skin healthy include: • Eating a nutritional diet that includes adequate protein. • Keeping the skin clean and free of body fluids or feces. • Applying skin lotions to keep the skin from drying out and cracking, which makes it vulnerable to pressure sores. Use of pressure-relieving devices or cushions, especially if a person is confined to a bed or chair for any length of time, can prevent pressure sores. Padding metal parts of a wheelchair can help reduce friction. Frequent changing of position will help reduce constant pressure on the skin. Learn the proper way to move yourself or a person you are caring for so that you avoid folding and twisting skin layers.
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