As age increases, the probability of elderly people falling and causing fractures also increases year by year. Related studies have shown that most fractures in elderly people are caused by falls, and some fractures are osteoporotic fractures, because elderly people suffer from severe bone calcium loss and are prone to osteoporotic fractures. After a fracture occurs, it is necessary to undergo surgical treatment as soon as possible in order to control the condition in a timely manner and prevent the occurrence of complications. At the same time, due to the poor physical recovery function of the elderly, postoperative care is crucial.
To provide comprehensive care for elderly fracture patients, it is necessary to first understand the most common postoperative complications in order to take targeted measures. Common complications generally include the following.
1. Bone atrophy. Patients with fractures may experience acute bone atrophy, which is caused by pathological changes in osteoporosis near the joints after injury. This not only leads to local bone and joint necrosis, but also affects surrounding nerves and tissues. After fracture, typical symptoms of patients are pain and vascular constriction disorder, which is the problem caused by acute bone atrophy.
2. Infection. If it is an open fracture, the damage to the surrounding soft tissue is relatively severe and can cause direct contact between the wound and the outside air, making it highly susceptible to contamination. In this case, there is a high probability of infection, especially for internal necrotic tissue and soft tissue infection. Improper treatment may lead to purulent osteomyelitis or sepsis.
3. Formation of deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs. This is a common problem, most of the time caused by lower limb fractures or pelvic bone fractures. This situation is due to slow venous blood return and damage leading to hypercoagulable blood. When thrombosis is detected, timely treatment is needed, otherwise it will lead to local tissue vascular necrosis.
4. Traumatic arthritis. Traumatic arthritis is a problem caused by abnormal healing due to bone fractures within the joint, and the destruction of the joint surface that cannot be accurately reduced. This condition can lead to long-term wear and tear arthritis in patients, and joint pain symptoms will persist and be difficult to relieve.
To prevent and improve the above-mentioned adverse conditions, we can help patients recover from the following aspects.
1. Patients with fractures should pay attention to not fixing too tightly after surgery. After postoperative reduction and fixation, patients with fractures must pay special attention to whether the plaster or splint fixation is too tight. If the patient discovers blood flow disorders in the distal end of the fracture site, such as severe swelling of the hands and feet, purple skin, and numbness of the affected limb, the patient must promptly inform the doctor for treatment.
2. Try to raise the affected limb as much as possible: After surgery, fracture patients should try to raise the affected limb as much as possible. In daily life, people can use pillows to support the fractured limb, which can effectively promote blood circulation and prevent excessive swelling of the fracture site. This will also be very helpful for the recovery of the patient's body.
3. Strengthen functional exercise: If the patient's physical conditions permit, they can move out of bed appropriately, and for patients who cannot get out of bed, they should also do limb exercises on the bed. This can promote blood circulation, which is crucial for fracture healing and functional recovery.
4. Patients with fractures should generally be given soft meals that fall between normal and semi liquid diets after surgery. The food provided should be low in impurities, easy to chew and digest, and should be chopped and cooked until soft. It is not advisable to fry or deep fry.
5. Timely hydration: Many patients need to rest for a long time after fracture surgery, especially those with lower limb fractures who have difficulty moving during hospitalization. Therefore, some patients are afraid that getting out of bed will pull the wound when they want to drink water, or that drinking too much water will increase the frequency of urination, so they try to drink less water. In fact, this idea is incorrect. Although the frequency of urination decreases, the body's metabolism also decreases accordingly. Long term bed rest can slow down gastrointestinal motility, so sufficient hydration is needed to promote gastrointestinal motility and avoid constipation. So when you want to drink water, don't avoid it and replenish enough water to speed up wound healing.