My bedridden grandma has redness in lower back. Please help.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
My grandmother suffered a fall in the bathroom one month back. She is 91 years old now. Following the fall, she developed a vertebral compression fracture. She has been on bed rest for the last few weeks and now developed redness and pain in the lower back area. Kindly advise on treatment including special dressing and bed or mattress needed.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
After reviewing your attached picture (attachment removed to protect patient identity), it is a grade 2 bed sore.
Prevent further damage by turning the side of the patient every two hours from side to side. This is to be done only after the approval of a spine specialist as she is suffering from a vertebral fracture.
The other measures include,
Use of an air mattress to distribute weight away from the bed sore region.
Periodic bed tilting can be done 15 to 30 degrees from side to side or pillow support from side to side every two hours. It will relieve pressure from the bed sore site and help it to heal.
No particular dressing is required at this stage. Keep it clean and free of moisture and soiling. Cleaning, daily change of bedding, and stoma powder or talcum powder can help.
Vertebral fracture management has priority over bed sore, so kindly discuss this with your treating doctor.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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