Bedridden Health Dictionary

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Bedridden: From 1 Different Sources

A term used to describe a person who is unable to leave their bed due to illness or injury. People most likely to be bedridden are the very elderly, the terminally ill, and those paralysed as the result of an accident.
Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (me)

A syndrome in which various combinations of extreme fatiguability, muscle pain, lack of concentration, panic attacks, memory loss and depression occur. Its existence and causes have been the subject of controversy re?ected in the variety of names given to the syndrome: CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS), post-viral fatigue syndrome, Royal Free disease, epidemic neuromyasthenia and Icelandic disease. ME often follows virus infections of the upper respiratory tract or gut, but it is not clear whether this is an association or cause-ande?ect. It may occur in epidemics or as individual cases. Physical examination shows no evidence of diagnosable disease and there is no diagnostic test – diagnosis usually being made by excluding other possible disorders. The sufferer usually recovers in time, although sometimes recovery may take many months or even years. The most severely affected may be bedridden and may need tube-feeding. There is no speci?c curative treatment, but symptomatic treatment such as resting in the early stages may help. Some experts believe that the illness has a psychological element, and sufferers have been treated with COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY. In 1998 the Chief Medical O?cer set up a multidisciplinary working group, including patients, to consider possible cures and treatments for ME/CFS. The report (2002) concluded that the disorder should be recognised as chronic and treatable, but there was no clear agreement on cause(s) and treatment(s). Meanwhile research continues, including a programme by the Centre of Disease Control in Atlanta, USA. Su?erers may ?nd it helpful to consult the ME Association.... myalgic encephalomyelitis (me)

Beriberi

A nutritional disorder resulting from a lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the diet. Without thiamine, the brain, nerves, and muscles (including the heart muscle) are unable to function properly. In developed countries, the illness is seen only in people who are starving or on an extremely restricted diet, such as alcoholics. There are 2 forms of the illness. In dry beriberi, thiamine deficiency mainly affects the nerves and skeletal muscles. Symptoms include numbness, a burning sensation in the legs, and muscle wasting. In severe cases, the patient becomes virtually paralysed, emaciated, and bedridden. In wet beriberi, the main problem is heart failure, which leads to oedema (swelling caused by fluid accumulation) in the legs, and sometimes also in the trunk and face. Other symptoms of wet beriberi include poor appetite, rapid pulse, and breathlessness.

Beriberi is treated with thiamine, given orally or by injection.... beriberi

Faecal Impaction

A condition in which a large mass of hard faeces cannot be evacuated from the rectum. It is usually associated with long-standing constipation. Faecal impaction is most common in very young children and in the elderly, especially those who are bedridden.

The main symptoms are an intense desire to pass a bowel movement; pain in the rectum, anus, and centre of the abdomen; and, in some cases, watery faeces that are passed around the mass. Treatment is with enemas or by manual removal of the faecal mass.... faecal impaction

Urinal

A container for urine, useful for bedridden men (women use a bedpan).... urinal

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression

a technique to prevent thrombosis in bedridden patients. It uses an inflatable device that squeezes the calf when it inflates, preventing pools of blood forming behind the valves in the veins, thus mimicking the effects of walking.... intermittent pneumatic compression

Pressure Sore

(bedsore, decubitus ulcer) an ulcerated area of skin caused by continuous pressure on part of the body: a hazard to be guarded against in all bedridden (especially unconscious) patients. Healing is hindered by the reduced blood supply to the area, and careful nursing is necessary to prevent local gangrene. The patient’s position should be changed frequently (pressure-relieving mattresses are extremely helpful), and the buttocks, heels, elbows, and other regions at risk kept dry and clean.... pressure sore

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