I hope someone can help me here. Let me give you what little facts I have. I have a friend, a 45 year old male, parapalegic for 25 years. He has been bedridden for the past 15 years due to a bed sore. He lives in Southern California and has to lie in bed for 24hrs with no air conditioning. He says he cant have it because of the bacterial issues and he has to have fresh air flow. Is there some product available that can be window installed (he lives in an apt) that can ease this problem. I have no experience in this area so I am putting this out there to anyone that can help.
Dave
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Air Conditioner Question
Started by
*David*
, Aug 29 2005 10:25 PM
4 replies to this topic
Top#2
AHolland
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Posted 30 August 2005 - 01:45 AM
It really sounds like a question for a good heating/cooling company. Before my accident i travelled to Australia a couple times a year. Up there they used a lot of air conditioning, but they also used something that essentially varied the humidity that worked well too. I think the process involved injecting more humidity into the air which acted to attract the heat. By then passing the air out of the house, it carried the heat away as well.
Sorry I have been so vague. I can't really remember what the process is called. That sort of unit should help reduce the heat without injecting any bacteria as the majority of the airflow was out of the house, not into the house.
Sorry I have been so vague. I can't really remember what the process is called. That sort of unit should help reduce the heat without injecting any bacteria as the majority of the airflow was out of the house, not into the house.
T4/T5
#4 *Guest*
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Posted 30 August 2005 - 04:09 AM
Thanks for the help so far!! I dont want to sound crude, but my friend can't even tell when he has urinated or had a bowel movement. When he does, he has to clean it up and I think that is one reason why a standard air conditioner wont work because it will allow the bacteria etc to stay in the room.
Thanks again to all with any help.
Dave
Thanks again to all with any help.
Dave
#5
Bob Clark
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Posted 30 August 2005 - 11:11 AM
Hi Dave,
If your paraplegic friend has been bedridden for 15 years due to bedsores he needs more help than I can offer him here. He needs to be seen by a doctor and then taught how to care for himself properly. If he's unable (for whatever reason) to properly tend to his wounds then he needs to go into a nursing/convalescent home until he's healed. And while there be taught how to prevent getting bedsores/pressure sores or decubitus ulcers in the future. Being bedridden 24/7 must be torture!
He needs to learn how to set up a reliable bowel and bladder program so that he's not always soiling the sheets and soaking them in urine. "Accidents" do happen but they are more than likely caused by an erratic lifestyle. He needs to eat the proper foods and on a schedule. He can't be eating a whole pepperoni and green pepper pizza and washing it down with a case of beer and popping all sorts of constipating pain pills whenever he wants to and expect to have any control over his life. He'll need to learn how eat and drink in moderation and on a schedule of sorts. I don't know what type of person your friend is so what I just wrote may not apply to him but there's something wrong if he's constantly getting pressure or bedsores and believes that living in a sweatbox is healthy.
Does your friend see a doctor regularly or have a home healthcare nurse come to his home?
There are different types and stages of bedsores and they need different types of dressings and care and even medical equipment like "wound vacs". There are others here who know a lot more about bedsores than me and hopefully they'll reply.
But the ambient air temperature of his room has nothing to do with healing bedsores. If anything, the colder the room the better because bacteria will reproduce at a slower rate when the temperature is lower. That's why Operating Rooms are always so cold... to slow the growth of bacteria. At least I believe that's why.
He needs to keep the bacteria from the soiled sheets out of his wounds. He needs to wash his sheets thoroughly (perhaps 2 or 3 times) using liberal amounts of detergent and bleach. And learn how to properly wash his hands and wheelchair rails and apply wound dressings so that if he does have an "accident" in bed his wounds aren't affected (or infected) by it.
The harmful bacteria in fecal matter isn't of the airborne variety so having or not having an air conditioner wouldn't make a difference either way. Urine is supposed to be "sterile" but probably isn't in most quadriplegics and paraplegics. There are anti-microbial air filters he could buy for an air conditioner which would be more sanitary than an open window! And he could buy additional room air filters of whatever type of bacteria catching or killing capability he prefers. A few are ultraviolet, ionic, HEPA etc.
An open window (preferably with an exhaust fan!) will certainly help with the smell but like I already said, the bacteria in fecal matter isn't airborne.
Ultraviolet air filtering
More uv filtering stuff
Does he really think the air from an open window in Southern California is healthy? There are gazillions of bacteria, viruses and mold spores etceteras floating around.
I think he would benefit from air conditioning. He would sweat less so there would be less transference of bacteria. He wouldn't get as frustrated from being so hot and could spend more quality time caring for himself. And if he lived at a "normal" temperature maybe more of his friends would come visit and help him out.
He has a good caring friend in you. Have a nice day Dave.
If your paraplegic friend has been bedridden for 15 years due to bedsores he needs more help than I can offer him here. He needs to be seen by a doctor and then taught how to care for himself properly. If he's unable (for whatever reason) to properly tend to his wounds then he needs to go into a nursing/convalescent home until he's healed. And while there be taught how to prevent getting bedsores/pressure sores or decubitus ulcers in the future. Being bedridden 24/7 must be torture!
He needs to learn how to set up a reliable bowel and bladder program so that he's not always soiling the sheets and soaking them in urine. "Accidents" do happen but they are more than likely caused by an erratic lifestyle. He needs to eat the proper foods and on a schedule. He can't be eating a whole pepperoni and green pepper pizza and washing it down with a case of beer and popping all sorts of constipating pain pills whenever he wants to and expect to have any control over his life. He'll need to learn how eat and drink in moderation and on a schedule of sorts. I don't know what type of person your friend is so what I just wrote may not apply to him but there's something wrong if he's constantly getting pressure or bedsores and believes that living in a sweatbox is healthy.
Does your friend see a doctor regularly or have a home healthcare nurse come to his home?
There are different types and stages of bedsores and they need different types of dressings and care and even medical equipment like "wound vacs". There are others here who know a lot more about bedsores than me and hopefully they'll reply.
But the ambient air temperature of his room has nothing to do with healing bedsores. If anything, the colder the room the better because bacteria will reproduce at a slower rate when the temperature is lower. That's why Operating Rooms are always so cold... to slow the growth of bacteria. At least I believe that's why.
He needs to keep the bacteria from the soiled sheets out of his wounds. He needs to wash his sheets thoroughly (perhaps 2 or 3 times) using liberal amounts of detergent and bleach. And learn how to properly wash his hands and wheelchair rails and apply wound dressings so that if he does have an "accident" in bed his wounds aren't affected (or infected) by it.
The harmful bacteria in fecal matter isn't of the airborne variety so having or not having an air conditioner wouldn't make a difference either way. Urine is supposed to be "sterile" but probably isn't in most quadriplegics and paraplegics. There are anti-microbial air filters he could buy for an air conditioner which would be more sanitary than an open window! And he could buy additional room air filters of whatever type of bacteria catching or killing capability he prefers. A few are ultraviolet, ionic, HEPA etc.
Quote
...a standard air conditioner wont work because it will allow the bacteria etc to stay in the room.
An open window (preferably with an exhaust fan!) will certainly help with the smell but like I already said, the bacteria in fecal matter isn't airborne.
Ultraviolet air filtering
More uv filtering stuff
Does he really think the air from an open window in Southern California is healthy? There are gazillions of bacteria, viruses and mold spores etceteras floating around.
I think he would benefit from air conditioning. He would sweat less so there would be less transference of bacteria. He wouldn't get as frustrated from being so hot and could spend more quality time caring for himself. And if he lived at a "normal" temperature maybe more of his friends would come visit and help him out.
He has a good caring friend in you. Have a nice day Dave.
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