Anyone have experience with a wound vac for bed sores?

Great that he is getting wound care at the NH. As said wound vacs help to heal it. My daughter did woundcare.

I was told by a nurse that two things that cause bed sores are pressure and moisture. If one can be eliminated the wound can begin to heal. I used Calmoseptine cream on my wife's tailbone wound and got immediate results. The cream has zinc oxide in it which prevents moisture reaching the wound. At the same time try to reduce pressure on the wound. The nurse said he had seen the cream work on wounds where the bone was exposed. I put this cream on my wife after every diaper change. No bed sores in over two years bedridden.

Just an add on--if the patient is very heavy, the wound vac works, but has to work 'against' the weight of the skin surrounding the wound. I knew a man who was probably 350(?) lbs and when he had back sugery, his wound would NOT close up. He was given a wound vac and had it on for almost a year. I had the same back surgery as he did and was walking around within a week. I'm not skinny by any standard, but being a 'normal' weight made it so my skin closed up well.

Make sure the patient is eating lots of protein. But not sitting around eating all day. Last thing you need is for that woundvac to fail on you b/c the patient gains weight!

Good Luck!!

I am a registered nurse. Wound vacs are wonderful devices. They allow wounds to heal from the bottom up. They work well as long as they are hooked up to power and the suction is working. The wound care nurse will evaluate and change the dressings - usually weekly.

Your BIL will heal better if he turns every 2 hours. He will also heal better if he gets adequate nutrition, fluids, oxygenation, and circulation. Some of those are easy for staff to implement. Some are more difficult based on your BIL's health and his chronic health problems.

Freshi,

I'm sorry to hear of your BIL having had a disabling stroke. This is an unfortunate turn of events in anyone's life and in the family's who love them. I hope for his reaching full rehab potential and being able to return to a modified - independent life outside of a SNF, if this is an achievable goal.

I'm a retired RN and always worked diligently to prevent skin breakdown that results in bed sores. They are pretty slow to develop and take time to heal. For any family able to be with him, make sure that he is kept positioned with pressure off that wound site and don't feel intimidated about asking for cares or obligated to accept any below-par care provided for him. Don't be afraid to ask questions and gently but firmly advocate for him in all aspects of his care.

Wound Vacs are awesome and truly do aid in healing wounds by providing constant stimulation of blood flow and by wicking excess moisture and bacteria away from the wound while protecting the delicate healing taking place at the edges of the wound. Hopefully, the size and depth of the wound will continually decrease as healing takes place. The 'dressing' is changed every 3-5 days, as I recall, and it's key that the adhesive is fully attached to ensure the proper function of the Vac.; This is among the things that family can check on, as well as ensuring proper positioning, movement, nutrition with high protein (unless contra-indicated by other medical conditions) and hydration to promote healing.

If rehabilitation and a return home is a realistic goal, the encouragement of loved ones helps in large measure to provide the support and encouragement needed to reach every goal. Family also knows the personal needs of their loved one and if communication is impaired, can help him to voice his needs.

I wish your BIL, you and yours the best.

Johns Hopkins sent a mobile friend home with a wound vac. I figured they knew what they were doing but was still a little skeptical because the premise is weird (leave the wound open but pack it with sterile something (???) and suction out moisture — and be patient, cuz it’s a slow process) but it’s an amazing piece of equipment. It’s obviously a little inconvenient since you’re attached to a device but nurses changed the packs and it’s a holistic solution that lets the body build layers of new tissue to fill an open wound. No side effects.

Why not give it a chance and see if the wound starts healing?

My husband is in an Adult family home and developed a sore on his lower leg. That used a wound vac on it for at least a few weeks and also give him two protein drinks (30 grams/11 oz)daily to help the healing process. ( the drinks are not cheap...best deal I could find was at Costco...premier protein brand)
Good luck!

Having posted once on this subject, here are some other things to consider for patients who are bedridden. Get an air circulating mattress. It helps prevent constant pressure in the same spot. Frequent turning will help. If you notice a really red skin area this could be the beginning of a bed sore. If one takes action this spot should not get worse but return to a normal appearance. Hope these observations help.

My wife was fighting a very bad rash that covered her entire back for 6mos her doc and the er had no clue and gave up. I found a dermatologist who did a biopsy’s (still don’t know what it is). He prescribed a cream (steroid) and within two weeks it was clear. Everyone was surprised. She is bed ridden and lies on her back, first thoughts were a fungal infection but they were wrong. If there are skin issues find a dermatologist

Yes. I am a retired nutrition counselor. Wound vacs help with healing difficult sores. A dietician will also supplement the diet to add protein for healing. This is actually good nursing care.