Doctor recommended Mylanta as topical for bed sore/pressure sore!?!?!

DaleB · 02-13-2008, 06:50 PM

Yes...you read that right...my 93 year old grandmothers dermatologist today recommended she use Mylanta (the ant-acid) as a topical agent on a black/blue spot, about the size of a baseball, located on her sacral area.

She's in a wheelchair or bed 24x7, like me, and he called it a "bed sore" or "pressure issue".

He also added that he had no idea why Mylanta worked but said it will help heal it faster than anything else he could advise or prescribe.

WTF?

Sounds like second opinion time, IMHO.

Has anyone every heard of such advice from a physician for bed sore?

My advice to her was that her doctor is an

and maybe we should find her another one.

Then I realized I'm not a doctor (sometimes I forget) and that maybe we should ask around.

Sooooooo...I'm askin' 'round!

Cheers,
Dale

dunwawry · 02-13-2008, 07:05 PM

Yep. Heard of it, but seem to remember it being Maalox instead of Mylanta. Has been quite a while since I have seen this, but then I am not typically in the pressure sore business, so I am unsure how much it is still used, esp. now that fancier stuff like Prisma is available. But I know it was all the rage at one time. The most important thing you can do is to keep her off of her tailbone.... and watch that she doesn't start to develop any new ones.

SCI-Nurse · 02-13-2008, 10:23 PM

Hello,

The use of Maalox is quite outdated and I'm not exactly sure of the mechanism behind its use but I believe it was popular when people thought wounds healed best in a dry environment. We now know they heal best in a moist environment.

Black and blue areas over bone usually indicate DTI (deep tissue injury) from pressure and there may be more severe damage beneath the skin.
Please refer to the post at the beginning of this care forum and read the new pressure sore guidelines which discuss DTI and stages.

Definitely keep all pressure off this area- frequent turning and no sitting; observe this frequently, keep clean and cover for protection. If this opens, I recommend she see a skin specialist for a treatment specific to what the wound looks like.

AAD

02-13-2008, 06:50 PM	#1
DaleB Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tidewater, VA Posts: 5,160	Doctor recommended Mylanta as topical for bed sore/pressure sore!?!?! Yes...you read that right...my 93 year old grandmothers dermatologist today recommended she use Mylanta (the ant-acid) as a topical agent on a black/blue spot, about the size of a baseball, located on her sacral area. She's in a wheelchair or bed 24x7, like me, and he called it a "bed sore" or "pressure issue". He also added that he had no idea why Mylanta worked but said it will help heal it faster than anything else he could advise or prescribe. WTF? Sounds like second opinion time, IMHO. Has anyone every heard of such advice from a physician for bed sore? My advice to her was that her doctor is an and maybe we should find her another one. Then I realized I'm not a doctor (sometimes I forget) and that maybe we should ask around. Sooooooo...I'm askin' 'round! Cheers, Dale __________________ __________________ He who hears not me but the Logos will say: All is one.

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02-13-2008, 07:05 PM	#2
dunwawry Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NC Posts: 340	Yep. Heard of it, but seem to remember it being Maalox instead of Mylanta. Has been quite a while since I have seen this, but then I am not typically in the pressure sore business, so I am unsure how much it is still used, esp. now that fancier stuff like Prisma is available. But I know it was all the rage at one time. The most important thing you can do is to keep her off of her tailbone.... and watch that she doesn't start to develop any new ones.

02-13-2008, 10:23 PM	#3
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,515	Hello, The use of Maalox is quite outdated and I'm not exactly sure of the mechanism behind its use but I believe it was popular when people thought wounds healed best in a dry environment. We now know they heal best in a moist environment. Black and blue areas over bone usually indicate DTI (deep tissue injury) from pressure and there may be more severe damage beneath the skin. Please refer to the post at the beginning of this care forum and read the new pressure sore guidelines which discuss DTI and stages. Definitely keep all pressure off this area- frequent turning and no sitting; observe this frequently, keep clean and cover for protection. If this opens, I recommend she see a skin specialist for a treatment specific to what the wound looks like. AAD