HI - new member.

[guardianangel]

Hi, I have been scouring this site for some time now and finally built up the courage to sign up and post. I have found it so informative and resourceful. My best friend is a C5/6 spinal injury for the past 26 years. I am his PA and we have become best of friends and spend most of our days together, in fact We have just returned from Spain on a lovely holiday. I read all the info on here before we travelled about what to expect while travelling and it was so informative. My friend is very self sufficient. He lives on his own and has his whole home automated so makes life alot easier for him. Within the past year I have been treating a pressure sore that he has gotten, probably his second one in 26 yrs, but as its not healing very well I was hoping I could get some advice from someone that knows.
Many thanks

[Andy]

Hi GuardianAngel,

welcome to the forum and glad you decided to post, i'm sure some of our members here will have good advice for you re helping pressure sores to heal

Andy
extract from UK NHS guide to treating pressure ulcers

Treating pressure ulcers
Your healthcare professional should look at your pressure ulcer regularly, at least once a week, and check for any changes. To relieve the pressure on the ulcer, your healthcare professional should work with you to find the best ways of moving around, changing position and using supports, such as a special mattress or cushion.

The decision about which type of support to use should be based on a number of factors including:
1. how severe your pressure ulcer is
2. where the pressure ulcer is on your body
3. your general health
4. how comfortable the support is for you
5. whether you can change position on your own or whether there is someone who can help you change position.

Your pressure ulcer may need other treatments to help it heal.
Treatments include dressings, removing damaged skin and other methods of promoting healing. A trained healthcare professional
will work with you to decide the best treatment for your pressure ulcer.
If you have signs of an infection, your healthcare professional may treat it with antibiotics or special dressings that kill bacteria and help the wound get better quicker.

Pressure ulcers – prevention and treatment Treating pressure ulcers

Dressings
Your pressure ulcer may need a dressing. To help it heal as quickly as possible, NICE recommends the use of modern dressings. Some examples of these dressings are listed below.

Hydrocolloids – an adhesive dressing that gels over the wound but sticks to the surrounding skin.
Hydrogels – a simple gel that keeps wounds moist and can help clean wounds.
Foams – available in different shapes and sizes, foams are designed to absorb and retain fluid.

These modern dressings should be used in preference to basic
dressings such as gauze, paraffin gauze and simple dressing pads.

Sometimes other treatments may be needed. These treatments include electrical stimulation, which uses electrical currents to
promote healing, and negative pressure therapy, where suction is applied to the wound.

In some cases it may be necessary to remove dead tissue from the ulcer to encourage it to heal. This type of treatment is called debridement. It can be done with dressings or it may involve cutting away areas of dead tissue. This can often be done at home or in a GP’s surgery, but if the ulcer is very deep or has a lot of dead tissue init, an operation in hospital to clean out the wound may be needed.

Being referred to a surgeon
Sometimes, even with the best treatment, pressure ulcers may not heal. If your pressure ulcer does not heal properly you may be advised to have surgery to help close the wound. Your comfort and preferences should be taken into account.