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Bed Sores

What Are the Most Common Sites for Bed Sores?

Bed sores, also known as pressure ulcers, typically develop when an individual is restricted to a bed or chair and doesn’t change positions on a regular basis. The constant pressure often causes friction in certain parts of the body, damaging skin and reducing blood flow. The most common body parts to experience bed sores are places often under the most pressure. This can include, but is not limited to, the following areas:

Heel: This is a common place for bed sores, and a specially shaped heel dressing is often used to treat it.
Buttocks & Tailbone: A specific-shaped sacrum dressing is used to help prevent and heal bed sores in this area of the body.

Bed sores can also occur in other bony parts of the body, including hips, shoulders, knees/legs, and even the back of the head. Those are the most common places to get bed sores. However, bed sores can occur anywhere. For instance, some patients who use oxygen have been known to get these pressure sores on the bridge of their nose or behind their ears due to the constant friction of the cannula and tubing.

How Long Do Bed Sores Last?

It depends on how severe the bed sore is and how well it responds to certain treatment options. Other factors include the individual’s overall health, the potential presence of infection, and the overall quality of care received. There are four stages of bed sores; the more crucial the stage, the longer the healing time.

Stage 1: Skin changes color. You notice redness and a potential warm, burning, or itching sensation in the area.
Stage 2: Blister or wound develops. The area becomes painful and the redness in the area expands or becomes more severe.
Stage 3: Skin loss. The wound deepens below the skin surface, and the sore extends down into the tissue.
Stage 4: Extensive damage. Damage to muscles, bones, tendons, and cartilage can happen in this stage while also having a high infection risk.

For more information, check out our resource ”The 4 Stages of Bed Sores and How To Identify Them”, or call your medical provider if you believe there’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

What Do You Put on a Bed Sore?

Several treatments can be applied to a bed sore. These include antibacterial products to prevent infection, dressings to cover and protect the wound, and creams to promote healing while relieving irritation. It also depends on what stage of bed sore you have. If you are nursing a stage two bed sore or higher, then there’s a chance that you will need a combination of dressings to address the wound fully. We’ll explain this in more detail in the sections below.

What Are the Best Creams for Bed Sore Treatment?

Several creams work for bed sores, preventing dryness, promoting healing, and helping avoid irritation in the affected areas. A few examples of these creams include:

Calmoseptine Moisture Barrier Ointment: Brings relief to irritated skin discomfort and itching for stage one and two bed sores.

Normlgel Ag Silver Antimicrobial Wound Gel: As the name suggests, it has antimicrobial properties while helping maintain moisture for faster healing. Mentions specific use for bed sores, leg ulcers, and other wounds.

What Are the Best Dressings for Bed Sores?

Medical Monks recommends bordered silicone dressings. These dressings are specifically made with conditions like leg ulcers and bed sores in mind. It’s important to check bed sores regularly for any changes. Mepilex bordered dressings allow you to lift the dressing with minimal irritation to the patient and reattach it numerous times over the life of the dressing. Also, these dressings are flexible while coming in all different shapes and sizes to conform to the body, even in tricky areas:

Mepilex Border Foam Dressing or Proximel Silicone Bordered Foam Dressing: Specially designed for pressure ulcers, bed sores, and similar wound types.
Mepilex Border Heel Dressing: Shaped to fit the heel, which can be difficult to fit with regular sized dressings.
Mepilex Border Sacrum Dressing: Shaped to fit the lower spine and tailbone area.

How to Prevent Bed Sores

Immobile patients in a bed or chair are most at risk for bed sores. Regularly repositioning these at-risk individuals is one of the top ways to prevent bed sores. Here’s the full list of how to prevent bed sores from arising in the first place:

Reposition immobile patients every two hours.
Use special mattresses to avoid specific pressure points.
- Z-Flo Fluidized Positioner: A specialized cushion that can prop a patient to avoid bed sores. It won’t lose its form like a regular pillow over time.
Maintain regular hygiene. Keep skin clean and dry.
Apply moisturizers regularly.
A balanced diet and plenty of fluids.
Check for bed sores and immediately treat them at the first stages.

Product Solutions

Mölnlycke Z-Flo Fluidized Positioner

How Z-Flo™ Fluidized Positioners works

Z-Flo Fluidized Positioners are used mitigate pressure injury risk factors while maintaining neutral body alignment. Our patented and versatile positioners

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Mepilex Border Flex Five-Layer Foam Dressing

Featuring a highly absorbent five-layer design and Safetac® technology, Mepilex® Border Flex Foam Dressings are designed to assist with managing moderate- to high-exudate chronic and

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Mepilex Border Sacrum Foam Dressing

With a five-layer design, Mepilex® Border Sacrum Dressings make use of Deep Defense™ technology to improve balance and flexibility while preventing pressure ulcers and helping

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Proximel Ag Silicone Foam Dressing with Border

Designed for treating moderately to heavily exuding wounds, Proximel® Ag bordered silicone foam dressings utilize an innovative five-layer design that improves patient comfort, reduces complications

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