One of the complications of severe burns (second and third degree burns) is bed sores. Bed sores which are also called pressure ulcers, pressure sores and decubitus ulcers are injury to the body tissues resulting from the compression of these tissues between two hard surfaces such as the bed mattress and other body parts like bones.
Risk factors for bed sores:
- Bedridden people such as those with severe burns and wheelchair bound people
- People with chronic illnesses such as vascular diseases and diabetes
- People who are paralyzed or who can’t move certain body parts such as brain injury
- Older age people with fragile skin
- Mental disability from certain conditions like Alzheimer’s disease
- People with bowl or bladder incontinence
Burn recovery bed or burn bed is a special hospital bed that is designated for people who have suffered severe burns across large portions of their body. The main purpose of this bed is to distribute the patient’s weight evenly to ensure body contact over the largest area possible.
Air chamber burn bed:
This is a type of weight distributing burn bed in which the mattress is formed of groups of inflatable air sacs that can be adjustable in each section to different air pressure and made of material permeable to water vapor. The air sacs are maintained in a partially deflated state so that the air pressure can freely distribute itself. This prevents the formation of bed sores and ensures that the patient’s skin is kept dry in a comfortable and controlled warm air atmosphere. There is no friction against painful burn wounds as well as less turning the patient allowing for longer nursing periods of the patient.
This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice; it should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.