Pressure area care

gerinurse7 · Aug 9, 1998

Actually, in my personal experience it is better to turn q2h when they are vulnerable. There are many specialty beds available to help relieve pressure and there are some beds that will turn the patient for you. But if you do not have access to this you need to do it yourself. Also, making sure patients are dry is also another even better defense. The facility I work at uses a topical moisture barrier for incontinent patients that is applied after each episode. Good pericare, barriers and turning are the primal defense against pressure ulcers.

Mister Chris, MSN, NP · Jul 14, 2004

Yes, keep up the 2hrly turns especially when their skin integrity is at risk - or end up with pressure sore skin breakdown. Skin once broken down on the older client does take a lot more time to repair than skin on the younger and more active client. Sometimes this can be the 'begining of the end' for some of the more frail clients. Some of my clients do seem to get used to the 2hrly turns, they hardly seem to wake. Once they have been turned most will return to sleep straight away.

ham22 · Jul 14, 2004

I am also in LTC and I agree with the others. Best to turn q 2 hrs. I have seen some slightly red areas turn into big nasty sores very quick b/c some of my aides did not feel it necessary to turn someone so often. We have also had a few that absolutely had to be turned q 1 hr. My aides also did not like doing this :uhoh3: but, these little ladies only weighed 80-90 lbs. So, I never understood what all their complaining was about.............

Destinystar · Jul 14, 2004

Pressure ulcers are caused by pressure. The best way to prevent them is to alleviate pressure. The best way to alleviate pressure is to turn pts. every 2 hours. Every 2 hours is the minimum, to turn every 1 hour (if it were possible would be even better). Pts. develop pressure ulcers when the circulation to the skin gets cut off, this is very uncomfortable to the pts. It is hard for pts. to sleep comfortably if they are unable to turn themselves. Turning pts. who cannot turn themselves promotes comfort. To find out for your self. Lay down in one position. When you feel the urge to turn, dont and see how quickly you begin to feel pain and discomfort. :)

Hello,
I'm a night sister in a nursing home in the UK. To prevent pressure sores while residents are in bed sleeping we use various pressure relieving aides and mattresses. We also turn very vunerable residents 2 hourly. This disturbs their sleep. Does anyone out there think that turning this frequently is over the top and is there any research I might find useful on this particular topic. Turning 3 hourly in most cases would be better.......yes?

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jul 14, 2004

If you read the latest....pressure ulcers take less than 20 minutes to start, so turning every two hours is a minimum. It only takes a tiny change though. Try a bunch of pillows behind them, and then remove a pillow every hour. The position has been changed and you don't have to worry about having to completely change their position.

leslie :-D · Jul 23, 2004

imo, i found those big soft booties to be for the birds. put a couple of pillows under their legs so their heels aren't touching the mattress when in the supine position...this is specifically for the frail and bony pts.