When Should I Worry?

Fibrin promotes healing, but in large quantities, it keeps the wound very moist, so some of this tissue should be removed as well.

Step 4

It is common for some areas to bleed after this procedure. This should not be a cause for concern. Bleeding means that you have reached the healthy, living tissue from which the new skin will form. At the end, you can apply some hydrocolloid gel or dressing inside the ulcer and cover it with gauze or surgical pads. Check for areas of necrosis in all of that patient’s ulcers, and perform this procedure carefully on all of them and whenever necessary.

Vascular ulcers, especially varicose ulcers, can present a very alarming bleeding. The limb can be bandaged by applying pressure for a few minutes to try to stop the bleeding. If the same amount of blood continues to flow for more than 30 minutes, it is important and necessary to seek help. Contaminated sores can cause a blood infection called sepsis. In these cases, the patient has a fever and discomfort. Initially this condition can be treated with Cefadroxil 500mg orally every 12 hours for one week. A practical alternative is fish antibiotics like Ciprofloxacin and Cefalexin, which are excellent as firstline antibiotics for skin infections.

If the fever does not improve or if other symptoms, such as lethargy, develop, it is necessary to receive more powerful antibiotics intravenously. When the ulcer progresses instead of getting better despite treatment, whatever the cause, it is imperative to ask for help. You do not necessarily have to go to a health care facility, but you do need to contact a professional to guide the process.

CARE OF THE BEDRIDDEN PATIENT FOR THE PREVENTION OF BEDSORES

The bed-bound patient should be mobilized every four hours. This avoids accumulating pressure on specific areas of the body. The most frequent sites of pressure ulcer formation are the sacral or occipital regions, both hips, heels, and buttocks (although rare). Prevention is based on mobilization and weight distribution so that there is no more pressure on some sites than on others. In bedridden patients who remain in that state or are expected to be in that condition for a long time, a special air mattress that comes with a pump that distributes the pressure is recommended. It is an excellent tool, especially at night, when mobilization is not as active as in the day.