Bed
Sore prevention using Australian Medical Sheepskins
"It's a good thing we toss and turn in bed. That
movement continually redistributes the pressure between our bodies
and the mattress. If illness or injury prevents this movement, pressure builds up on specific areas of the body. This can
cause skin and other tissues to die, creating a bedsore. A few
simple steps, however, can help prevent these painful, dangerous,
and costly sores, reports the November 2006 issue of the Harvard
Health Letter."
In 2006, Medicare in the US,
logged nearly 323 000 cases of pressure sores as secondary
diagnoses. The average cost of treating these pressure sores was $
40,381.
Bed sores, pressure sores and decubitus ulcers are painful, debilitating and unnecessary. Use this
guide to learn about bed sores and their prevention. Bed sores can develop very
quickly and may progress into a Stage 4 pressure ulcer; like the one
shown below. Preventing this from happening should be of primary
concern for all caregivers.
Bed sores tend to develop on people who are confined to bed or chair.
Most often they are first seen in the tailbone or ankle areas.
Fortunately, the risk of developing bed sores can be reduced
significantly. Preventing bedsores is the logical and most humane
method you have of caring for those confined to a bed or wheelchair.
Bedsores are unnecessary and, 95% of the time, can be prevented. -
American Family Physician, October 1996: v54, n5,
p1519 (14)
Bed Sore
Prevention Guidelines:
1. Take care of the skin:
Inspect the skin daily. Pay special attention to red areas and
pressure points. Minimize moisture contact with the skin. Australian
Medical sheepskins reduce pressure and wick moisture away from the
skin, keeping it dry.
2. Protect the skin from injury:
Avoid massaging skin over bony areas. Change body position at least
every 2 hours- more frequently in a chair. Reduce friction (
rubbing) by lifting rather than dragging. Do not use donut shape
cushions. These can increase the risk of getting pressure ulcers by
reducing blood flow in the areas of contact with the cushion. If the patient is confined to bed,
reduce
pressure points with Australian Medical Sheepskins. The head of the
bed should be raised as little as possible. When the head of the bed
is raised above 30 degrees, the skin may slide over the bed surface,
damaging skin and small blood vessels. Pillows or wedges should be
used to keep knees and ankles from touching each other. Patients
should avoid lying directly on the hip bone when lying on their
side. Pillows and Medical Sheepskin may help. If the patient is
completely immobile, pillows should be put under their legs from
mid-calf to ankle to keep heels off the bed. Never place pillows
under the knees. This cuts off blood circulation.
Use Australian Medical
Sheepskins to protect the skin from injury.
3. Eat well:
Eat a balance diet. Proteins and calories are very important for
healthy skin. Healthy skin is less liable to be damaged.
4. Improve the patients ability to move:
A rehabilitation program can help some people gain movement and
independence. The patient can help to prevent most pressure
sores.
Bed Sores, decubitus ulcers and pressure sores develop through 4
stages. Notify your medical practitioner and nursing staff if you
notice any of the following:
Stage 1. You will notice redness of the intact skin. The skin is
unbroken, but inflamed and may be painful and warm to the touch. You
might also notice the skin's texture may be spongy or firm.
Stage 2. Here you will see the first sign of skin breakdown and
partial skin loss. It will look like an abrasion, blister or shallow
crater. The outer layer of the skin is broken, red and painful.
Surrounding tissue may be pale, red or swollen.
Stages 3 & 4 result in ulcer production.
The skin has broken down
and there is extensive destruction or damage to the underlying
muscle, bone or supporting structures.
Ulcers are extremely difficult to heal and may take many months for
complete repair. Preventing the development of an ulcer should be
considered seriously.
Bed sores, decubitus ulcers
and pressure sores are unnecessary and
can be prevented. Prevention is possible when you provide an
environment for the patient that does not foster the formation of
bedsores. This environment can be produced by
Australian HiTemp UR
Medical Sheepskins.
These sheepskins are approved FDA Medical Devices.
 
...........................................................................................................................................................
February 2007 - The National Pressure Ulcer
Advisory Panel (NPUAP) has redefined the definition of a pressure
ulcer and the stages of pressure ulcers, including the original 4
above stages and adding 2 stages on deep tissue injury and
unstageable pressure ulcers. This work is the culmination of over 5
years of work.
Pressure Ulcer Definition
A pressure ulcer is a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying
tissue usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or
pressure in combination with shear and/or friction. A number of
contributing or confounding factors are also associated with
pressure ulcers; the significance of these factors is yet to be
elucidated.
Pressure Ulcer Stages
Suspected Deep Tissue Injury:
Purple or maroon localized area of discolored intact skin or
blood-filled blister due to damage of underlying soft tissue from
pressure and/or shear. The area may be preceded by tissue that is
painful, firm, mushy, boggy, warmer or cooler as compared to
adjacent tissue.
Further description:
Deep tissue injury may be difficult to detect in individuals with
dark skin tones. Evolution may include a thin blister over a dark
wound bed. The wound may further evolve and become covered by thin
eschar. Evolution may be rapid exposing additional layers of tissue
even with optimal treatment.
Stage I:
Intact skin with non-blanchable redness of a localized area usually
over a bony prominence. Darkly pigmented skin may not have visible
blanching; its color may differ from the surrounding area.
Further description:
The area may be painful, firm, soft, warmer or cooler as compared to
adjacent tissue. Stage I may be difficult to detect in individuals
with dark skin tones. May indicate "at risk" persons (a heralding
sign of risk)
Stage II:
Partial thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shallow open ulcer
with a red pink wound bed, without slough. May also present as an
intact or open/ruptured serum-filled blister.
Further description:
Presents as a shiny or dry shallow ulcer without slough or
bruising.* This stage should not be used to describe skin tears,
tape burns, perineal dermatitis, maceration or excoriation.
*Bruising indicates suspected deep tissue injury
Stage III:
Full thickness tissue loss. Subcutaneous fat may be visible but
bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed. Slough may be present but
does not obscure the depth of tissue loss. May include undermining
and tunneling.
Further description:
The depth of a stage III pressure ulcer varies by anatomical
location. The bridge of the nose, ear, occiput and malleolus do not
have subcutaneous tissue and stage III ulcers can be shallow. In
contrast, areas of significant adiposity can develop extremely deep
stage III pressure ulcers. Bone/tendon is not visible or directly
palpable.
Stage IV:
Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle.
Slough or eschar may be present on some parts of the wound bed.
Often include undermining and tunneling.
Further description:
The depth of a stage IV pressure ulcer varies by anatomical
location. The bridge of the nose, ear, occiput and malleolus do not
have subcutaneous tissue and these ulcers can be shallow. Stage IV
ulcers can extend into muscle and/or supporting structures (e.g.,
fascia, tendon or joint capsule) making osteomyelitis possible.
Exposed bone/tendon is visible or directly palpable.
Unstageable:
Full thickness tissue loss in which the base of the ulcer is covered
by slough (yellow, tan, gray, green or brown) and/or eschar (tan,
brown or black) in the wound bed.
Further description:
Until enough slough and/or eschar is removed to expose the base of
the wound, the true depth, and therefore stage, cannot be
determined. Stable (dry, adherent, intact without erythema or
fluctuance) eschar on the heels serves as "the body's natural
(biological) cover" and should not be removed.
............................................................................................................................................................
If a bed sore has developed
already, the best thing that you can do is to try and remove the
cause of the bed sore. Pressure often causes bedsores. Pressure
against the small blood vessels in the skin will cause them to
collapse. Thus, blood flow to that area will cut off. Skin cells
will be deprived of oxygen and nutrients and will die. The death of
the skin is the beginning of what is recognised as a bed sore. To
prevent this from happening, you must reduce the pressure on the
skin. This can be achieved by lying/sitting on a Australian Medical
Sheepskin. Australian Medical Sheepskins also wick moisture away
from the skin; keeping it dry and firm. Moist skin is more likely to
tear when a person moves. Australian Medical Sheepskins reduce
friction. If a person lies directly on a Australian Medical
Sheepskin, skin abrasion and tears are less likely to happen.
Premium grade Australian
Medical Sheepskins (AS4480-1 1998) add comfort and an improved
feeling of well-being to those confined to a bed or wheelchair. The
2004 clinical trial at the Royal Melbourne Hospital found that
people placed on these Australian Medical Sheepskins had 58% fewer
bed sores than those placed on regular bed linen. For clinical trial
details, click: Research
When a person rests on a
HiTemp UR Medical Sheepskin,
there are 3 continuous bed sore prevention
effects:
1. Pressure reduction at the point of body contact with the
sheepskin.
2. Reduction of friction and shearing forces which rub and tear the
skin.
3. Prevention of the build-up of skin moisture.
Effective caregivers use
HiTemp UR Medical Sheepskins
to prevent or manage bed sores.
You might also consider the following
products: (Click on a Catalogue number for
more information, or to Order)
-
Low Temp Australian
Medical Sheepskins- natural shape- (
M101)
-
Hospital Fleece Nursing
Pad (
F103A or F103B)
-
Low Temp Australian
Medical Sheepskin Bed Pad- 24" x 36" (
M129BS)
| |
M101 |
F103 |
M129BS |
| Size |
About 30" x 42"- natural shape |
Available in 32" x 60" and 20" x 36" |
24" x 26" |
| Wool Type |
Low temperature wash, Merino Medical
Sheepskin. |
Merino wool knitted into a backing material
with a waterproof, breathable backing. |
Low temperature wash Merino Sheepskin Bed
Pad, with elastic straps to keep it in place. |
| Wool-Pile Height |
30mm |
30mm |
30mm |
| Colour |
Champagne |
White |
Gold |
| Wool-Pile Density |
Highest |
Good |
Below M101, but very good. |
| Washability |
Wash in Woolskin in cold water. Air dry. |
Machine wash with Woolskin. Dry in dryer. |
Wash in Woolskin in cold water. Air dry.
|
| Affordability |
Most expensive. |
Cheapest and best for institutional use.
Easiest to care for. |
Great value and very soft, fine wool. |
Order online, using the secure payment gateway;
chosen by Google for its own online transactions. Or, if you are not
sure about the best product for your situation,
call us at: 1- 800- 463- 1985.
New from Australia:
This is a new range of
products, specially developed for the Prevention of Pressure Sores
and Decubitus Ulcers. Made from Merino Superwash Wool with a pile
density of 1900 grams/square metre. This consistent wool product
ensures that all items are the same..unlike sheepskins which differ
from one to another.
Pressure Smart XD
products are machine washable and can be dried in the dryer..making
them more suitable for institutions that use a common laundry for
all articles. These products are recommended for incontinent
clients.
At present, we have the
M103 available in Pressure
Smart XD. Other products will arrive from Australia in mid December.
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shipping and handling for orders more than $230.
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our products and to order on-line.
We recommend that you
clean, condition and disinfect all sheepskin and wool products with
Woolskin...the
Sheepskin Shampoo &
Conditioner.
Benchmark for quality service since 1986
We
want to make sure that you receive the product best suited to your
need. If you have any questions about our products or their use for
medical conditions, please contact us. We are here to help
you!
Phone:
1- 800 - 463 - 1985
FAX : 905
-
295 - 3816
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mail to:
sales (at) medicalsheepskins.com
|
