The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-14
Home Nursing
BY M. JESSIE LEITCH
BED SORES

BED SORES
Old Mrs. Smith was the village char
ity case. When she fell i'll one winter
and then broke her leg, the neighbors
had a difficult time taking care of her.
She had rather a bad temper. and she
would have neither doctor nor nurse in
the cottage after the doctor hurt her
setting her broken leg.
Her husband, who was eighty and in
firm. tried to take care OF her. Inc
neishbors awoke to a sense of their re-
sponsihility one day when the young
doctor went to see Mrs. Henry, the
ministers wife, and told her he had
heard that Mrs. Smith had bad bed
sore and that he had insisted upon visit
ing her. It was exactly what he had fear
ed and anticipated. he told Mrs. Henry
adding 1t was the duty Of the parish to
see that something was don to make
doctor explained what he wanted her to
do about the old woman's condition
"a bed-sore? Dear me, hoy dreadful y
said the minister's wife, hurrying around
and collecting few comforts WHILE tne
doctor explained about what the OLD
woman's condition.
."She will let you into the house,
and she ,dosen't want me, the doctor
said, "but bed-sores are such disgrace
in this day and age! They simply point
to neglect and poor care. It's shame. II
the old lady wasn't such a spit-fire I'd
hustle her off to a hospital or get a
nurse, but she won't listen to either
suggestion"
So Mrs. Henry went down to the
cottage and with infinite tact and tend
erness, set things to right in the un-
tidy bedroom. She dressed Mrs. Smiths
bed-sore, which was most painful, and
won her promise that she would be al
lowed to visit her daily and take care of
her.
A pressure-sore, as bed-sores are call
ed, is not necessarily a part OF any dis
ease. Proper nursing care eliminates
even the possibility of a pressure-sore.
A pressure-sore is the gangrene or death
of tissues caused by poor circulation and
defective nourishment Of the tissue. 1t
is usually the result of pressure on the
affected part by the mattress, splint
or wrinkled bedclothes and is affected
BY the patients condition. Old people
are bound to have lowered vitality and
so are likely to have bed-sores unless
great care is taken to prevent them.
Emaciat ton, fever, paralysis and long i'll
nesses are also predisposing causes.
Moisture In the bed, wrinkled sheets
or gowns, lumpy mattresses, crumbs in
the bed, too long continuance in one
position will all help to cause bed-sores.
And in the case of broken limbs, badly
applied splint may cause a pressure-sore
Bed-sores usually appear on honey parts
of the body, such as the lower end of
the spine, the heels, elbows and should
er blades.
When a person is confined to bed
for days, preventative care should be
taken of these parts to avoid bed-sores.
The first sign of a pressure-sore is red
ness of the skin and pain. II, after care
full bathing with pure soap and water,
the parts be rubbed with powder and
spirits of camphor (the csmphor being
applied first, then the powder) gentle
friction viii keep the circulation Of
blood in the part brisk and so nourish
the tissue and prevent q bed-sore. FREE
quent changing Of position to avoid pres
sure, and the use of a rubber ring or q
ring made Of cotton wool, placed under
the part. will also help to avoid pressure
sores.
To prevent bed-sores, absolute clean.
illness and dryneas Of the skin, smooth,
dry under sheets, and soft comfortable
mattresses are necessary. II the skin
breaks it will be difficult to heal it and
much unnecessary pain will be expert
enced by the patient.
Sterate of zinc powder keeps the skin
dry and hardens 1t, thus avoiding pres
sure-sores, or a mixture of collodion aud
castor oil, halt and half, painted over