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homecarewarrior Asked January 2023

How to treat reoccurring butt boils on a 97 year old woman? She's kept clean and pull-ups are changed very often. Any product names, please.

This has been going on for about 5 months. If using zinc oxide paste do you apply oy once daily? Do you wash off the old paste before applying another application of paste. Or is a silicon type lubricant better than the paste ? How often can I use Hibiclense on her butt without causing skin irritation ?

MACinCT Jan 2023
I occasionally get them if I am sitting at my desk all day and forget to take breaks.
There are two OTC products that you can try for 3 to 5 days to see if there is improvement. Both are acne treatments

Look for any product with benzoil peroxide as its active ingredient. I can find Clean and Clear and a couple of major drug store brands that have a similar package. Usually it is purple in color and not blue for the tube. Apply full strength over the affected area and leave on for a couple of minutes then wash off. Or you can just apply a very thin coat over the boil and leave it on after doing a skin sensitivity check. NOTE: This product can bleach out some fabrics such as some, but not all, colored towels and colored undies.

Another product you can try is any good dandruff shampoo that attacks a different bacteria. Apply full strength for a couple of minutes then wash off

JoAnn29 Jan 2023
This is a boil. And what I read says its caused by Staff bacteria. So, maybe a cream should not be used because it keeps bacteria on the skin. I think a doctor needs to be called.

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NeedHelpWithMom Jan 2023
My mother’s home health nurse told me that even though a person is kept clean and dry, wounds can still occur when skin breaks down from aging. My mother lived to be 95.

This nurse was extremely knowledgeable regarding wound care. She ordered the proper products and my mother’s wounds healed.

I am sorry that I can’t remember the name of the products.

Don’t ask her doctor. Mom had a good doctor but they really aren’t as knowledgeable as nurses who treat are caring first hand for the patients. I seem to remember that the product is not washed off. It needs time to remain on the skin to do it’s job.

Good luck. These sores are painful uncomfortable. I hope your loved one heals quickly.

JoAnn29 Jan 2023
Here is a good article

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321051#when-to-see-a-doctor

It says nothing about applying any kind of creams. Just that the boil needs to be drained. Once draining needs to be covered. Just keep the area clean. MRSA is a factor so you may want to get her tested. And any open sores are serious especially if diabetic. These should always be looked at by a doctor and seen to by a nurse. A lay person may not be aware of changes in the wound like tissue dying.

Bridget66 Jan 2023
Zinc oxide is not going to cure or prevent boils. Aloe Vista products are used in nursing homes and rehabs. There is a cleansing foam, barrier cream, atc. available. They are available on Amazon and at home healthcare supply stores. She may need a course of antibiotics to clear up any infection. Ask her PCP.
NeedHelpWithMom Jan 2023
If a patient is participating in home health, all of these products are ordered by the nurse and Medicare pays for them.

It’s interesting to learn how Medicare pays for all sorts of medical expenses. Mom’s rollator walker with was wearing out and the nurse ordered a new one for her.
BarbBrooklyn Jan 2023
Are you talking about bedsores?

How often is she re-positioned?
NeedHelpWithMom Jan 2023
Barb,

Are the rotating mattresses that some nursing homes use available for at home patients? They can help too.

Mom’s home health nurse stressed shifting positions in her bed.

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