醫療新知

Care of un-healing wound

Please keep un-healing wound moist and clean. Change dressings in right timing and frequency that the nurse told you when you discharge. And keep close observation about erythema, swelling, heat, and tenderness of wound and any abnormal discharge or stincky odor. If the above symptoms happened, come back to the hospital immediately.

Clean of healed skin

Use the neutral soap to clean the skin for at least once per day. After cleaning the wound and dry the skin using absorptive towel, then apply ointment (like baby oil, lanolin cream, vaseline) over the skin. Notice the cleanness of skin around the wound, skin fold and hairy area.

Protection of the skin

The functions of massage

To prevent scar formation, you should start massage two to three weeks after successful skin graft. Skin cleaning should be performed before massage, and after the use of skin emollient the massage is done rotationally around the point with your palm or thumb compressing the skin. The more often the massage and the longer the time, the better, until the doctor confirms the scar tissue growth is stable.

 

The use of the pressure garment

You should follow the doctor’s order to wear the pressure garment appropriately with proper pressure to prevent the scar formation. During the period of use you should wear it all day long, including taking meals and sleeping but except for bathing and the period is at least six months, until the doctor’s confirming to stop. The pressure garment should be washed with hands and be dried in the shade to prevent elastic fatigue. You should check whether the pressure is appropriate regularly and try to adjust it to maintain the best effect. If there is any swelling or cyanosis happened, just take it off temporarily. Back to the hospital and consult your doctor.

 

Rehabilitation exercise

In order to prevent wound and joint fibrosis and extremities contracture, start rehabilitation program right away at the admission. Do the variety of rehabilitation exercise that the medical physician taught and keep up these training after discharge. Relatives should assist the patient with ordinary activities, so as to develop self-care ability.

 

Emotion relief

After long-term treatment during admission, the patient could have emotional problem. Relatives should encourage the patient to share his feeling and provide appropriate emotional relief. Let the patient know his merit and ability and thereby regain self-confidence and self-affirmation.

 

Regular hospital follow-up

Follow the indication of the medical physician, regular outpatient follow up on time and receive the examination and education that medical care agent arrange and then receive further reconstruction program and fulfill the treatment plan.