Preventing Patient Bedsores
The primary aim of CNA training is learning how to provide proper care to your patients or clients. Throughout your career as a Certified Nursing Assistant you will be caring for many different types of patients. Some of your patients will have very little mobility, and it’ll be your responsibility and duty to ensure that you take of them properly, helping them get around when needed, and manually moving patients who are unable to do so by themselves. One of the main things a CNA will have to look out for when working with patients with limited mobility is bedsores and rashes. Bedsores can become very painful, and if they are left untreated they can even be fatal.
There are a variety of things that can cause bedsores, the main culprit is prolonged pressure on a specific area on the body. Because of the pressure the affected area is under, it soon becomes deprived of oxygen causing the muscle and tissue to deteriorate. Another cause of bedsores is repeated friction on specific areas on the body, incotinence (causes a rash) and improper cleansing of the area. People who have diabetes and suffer from circulatory problems are at an increased risk of getting bedsores, as their circulation is already affected by their pre-existing condition.
Other high risk patients are those who are paralysed. A paralysed patient cannot feel the pain and discomfort bedsores can cause, therefore it is vital that the patients assigned Certified Nursing Assistant spots the appearance of bedsores early, and treats them as promptly as possible.
Of course, preventing bedsores from happening in the first place is a CNA’s main objective. Bedsores are very painful, and can be hard to treat depending on the patients condition and range of movement, so prevention is key. As a CNA, you will be trained and shown how to prevent bedsores, and because you will provide around the clock care to your patients, you should be able to prevent them from happening relatively easily. The main prevention method is to rotate and move the patient regularly, allowing the circulation to flow around all parts of the body. For patients that are immobilised, and possibly too large to move on your own, teams of CNA’s should work together to achieve this.
Proper rotation will ensure that all areas of the body are receiving proper circulation, preventing pressure from building up on one particular area for too long. Placing a sheet underneath the patient that can be grasped from both ends can sometimes assist you when rotating. Another method for preventing bedsores is to try to keep the moisture on the skin to a minimum, and it goes without saying that patients should never be allowed to lie in their own waste, for even the shortest periods of time. Not only would this be unacceptable practise, it is also inhumane, and Certified Nursing Assistants should be diligent in changing and cleaning their patients regularly. Failure to clean your patient properly can lead to a breakdown of the patients skin, causing rashes and inflammation. The use of petroleum jelly or A&D ointment can help prevent this.
When drying a patient after changing them, its better to blot the wet area with a dry cloth instead of rubbing, as this may cause irritation. Other methods of preventing bedsores include the use of medical pads to reduce friction from movement, and the provision of proper nutrients to keep the skin as healthy as possible.