How do I treat a sore on the tailbone?
My mother is bedridden. She now has a sore at the top of her tail bone. I keep it clean with biotin and an antibacterial liquid soap, apply neosporin, and cover it with gauze/bandage. What else can I do? Should she lay on her stomach for it to heal? Please advise.
Answers from doctors (1)
For pressure injuries, offloading (keeping pressure off the tailbone and other bony areas) and nutrition are very important for wound healing.
Your mother needs to be turned from side to side every 1-2 hours to relieve the pressure on the skin over top those bony areas. She also needs to be getting enough protein. So, ensure she’s eating well. Lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, and nuts are good sources of protein. There are also protein supplement drinks you can buy.
Keep the wound clean, dry, and covered with a dressing. The dressings made of foam with a silicon border are good and they stay in that area pretty well.
If the wound is not healing, is getting worse, or if you notice foul-looking or foul-smelling drainage, increased pain, redness in the surrounding skin, or she starts having fever or chills, I would recommend you call her doctor. She may need antibiotics for a wound infection. She may also need to see a wound specialist.
Published on Jul 11, 2012
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