Final answer:
To prevent bedsores and other skin issues in bedridden patients, repositioning them every few hours, maintaining good hygiene, and having immediate treatment for any wounds or infections are essential. This helps improve blood flow and prevent pressure-induced skin damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prevent skin issues in bedridden patients, such as bedsores, it is recommended to change their position frequently. This practice, commonly implemented in hospitals and long-term care facilities, involves turning the patients every few hours to alleviate sustained pressure on bony parts of the body. By doing so, blood flow to those areas is improved, reducing the risk of necrosis or tissue death.
In addition to repositioning, maintaining good hygiene is crucial. Regular cleaning and changing of the patient's clothing and bedding can help prevent infections. If a patient develops a bedsore, immediate treatment, including the removal of necrotized tissue, is necessary to prevent potentially fatal infections, especially given that antibiotic resistance is relatively common.
In cases where there is an infection, like Marisa's, hospitals usually isolate the patient and enforce strict hand hygiene protocols as well as meticulous disinfection of surfaces and equipment to prevent the spread of the infection.