How do you prevent pressure ulcers when a patient is in traction, and experience pain with any movement?

Advocate for better pain management! Also educate the patient about the consequences of immobility- ulcers, clots, death etc.

You can’t always prevent them if a patient refuses to turn or move. Pain mgmt is helpful but CYA…document every refusal to move or turn. We may not like it but the patient has a right to refuse.

1) provide patient an air mattress
2) when turning use PRN medication to alleviate pain levels
3) have extra staff to support the limb requiring traction and have patient do as much as they can

First of all, do your best to treat that pain. Second of all, get him surgery ASAP. Third of all, Even when it hurts we have to turn our at risk patients as kindly, safely, and gently as possible. Also try foam dressings on all pressure points and a low air loss mattress as well as a glide sheet to assist with repositioning.

Use a mattress that allows the sacrum and heels to “float”. Also make sure that the weight is off of the traction during patient movement and that someone is supporting the fractured limb during repositioning.

Research shows that keeping Pain Meds on Schedule is one of the best ways to enable them to be repositioned. As well as offloading them with Pillows on both Sides