Should bedridden patients use mattresses?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Nguyen Dac Nghia - Head of Orthopedic Trauma Unit - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
Mattress, in some regions called mattress, hereinafter collectively referred to as mattress. Bedridden patients are at high risk of skin ulcers in pressure areas such as the sacrum, outer ankle or heel, even the occipital region - causing dangerous complications: deep invasive tissue necrosis down to the bone, sepsis, death. How to prevent pressure ulcers? There are many measures that need to be implemented synchronously, of which choosing the right mattress for bedridden people is extremely important!

1. Should bedridden patients use mattresses?

There are many serious diseases that do not allow the patient to exercise, especially the elderly, in poor health, and have many underlying diseases. Because the patient lies in one place, the weight of the body presses on the skin in the protruding bone (sacrum, occipital bone, ankle, heel...) causing ischemia and necrosis of subcutaneous tissue. The necrotic tissue is susceptible to infection, so it rots, causing embolism and spreading around. The foci of infection can cause pain, high fever, sepsis, coma, and death.

To take care of bedridden patients, in addition to measures such as regularly massaging, changing positions, regularly cleaning the body, aerating the skin with powders, moisturizing creams, and enhancing nutrition. ...then choosing the right bed and mattress for the patient to lie down comfortably, avoiding the maximum risk of ulcers is very important. Families should choose specialized anti-ulcer mattresses for patients instead of ordinary mattresses. Regular mattresses, whether it's hot or cold, lying down for a long time will also lead to sweating, making the skin a favorable environment for bacteria to grow. Humidity along with heat, waste, friction, .. will make sores arise quickly. There are many types of specialized mattresses for bedridden patients on the market, in which new anti-ulcer mattress products have many outstanding advantages.

2. How to choose a mattress for the patient

In the past, bedridden patients were often advised to use a water mattress. However, the fact that this type of mattress for patients increases the risk of pneumonia in bedridden patients, increases the mortality rate in patients, especially in winter.
Anti-ulcer air mattress is the most commonly used anti-ulcer mattress today. The characteristic of this type of mattress is that the surface of the mattress is not flat, but it is designed with round or oval zones to create ventilation on the surface in contact with the patient's back. The anti-ulcer mattress reduces the contact area between the patient and the mattress, the pressure is distributed to minimize friction, enhance blood circulation, create a feeling of ventilation, effectively prevent the formation of ulcers. ulcers. Another advantage is that the anti-ulcer mattress has a two-way valve to ensure that the air inside is circulated, the temperature is always maintained stable in the range of 27-28 degrees, creating ventilation and comfort, family members are not worried because the patient is too hot or too cold.
The use of anti-ulcer pad is also quite simple. The mattress is equipped with an inflatable pump to inflate the mattress when in use. The mattress is easy to clean, clean, does not accumulate bacteria and pathogens. Can be easily folded to carry around and store away when not in use. Leaky gaskets can be self-repaired by wiping clean, applying glue to the leak, and then applying a patch.

There are many types of anti-ulcer mattress on the market with different prices. Families should buy mattresses from reputable brands to ensure the health and comfort of bedridden patients.

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