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Curative Home Page
Patient Guidelines: Preventing Ulcers
IF YOU ARE BED OR CHAIR CONFINED
- Inspect your skin daily for areas of redness or open wounds, especially in bony areas.
- Prevent dry skin with a moisturizing cream or lotion.
- Prevent over-moist skin with a skin-sealant or ointment specified by your physician.
- Change position in bed every two hours, and in a chair, every hour.
- Use a mattress overlay, a special mattress, or special cushion; do not use donut-shaped cushions.
- Raise the head of your bed as little as possible and only for a short time.
- Reduce friction by lifting rather than dragging yourself when you change positions, and use cornstarch on your skin in places where it contacts areas of high pressure.
- Participate in a rehabilitation program.
IF YOU ARE IMMOBILE
- In bed: Have your caregiver reposition you every two hours.
- In a chair: Have your caregiver shift your position every hour.
- Use pillows or wedges to keep your knees from touching each other and your ankles from rubbing together. Keep your heels suspended above the surface of the bed.
IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT
- Be committed to eating a balanced diet.
- If you need help establishing or obtaining a balanced diet, ask your clinician for assistance in choosing nutritional supplements.
IF YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF YOUR BLADDER OR YOUR BOWEL
- Clean your skin as soon as it is soiled.
- Use absorbent pads or undergarments with a quick-drying surface.
- Protect your skin with a cream or ointment specified by your physician.
If you have any questions, or your skin begins to
break down, contact your physician immediately.
Return to the Curative Home Page
Patient Guidelines: Diabetes | Patient Guidelines: Venous Insufficiency
These guidelines are in the public domain and may be copied for distribution to patients.
Wound Care Center® and Procuren® are registered trademarks of Curative Health Services, Setauket, NY.