Physical care The blisters are painful and only heal through intensive care. The care of blisters and wounds is very time-consuming. Every day, the patient or his/her carer spends a number of hours on wound care. The sometimes large, open wounds present a constant threat of infection. The wounds should be carefully dressed because the dressing may cause new blisters if it does not stay in its position. The patient or his/her carers have to live with a constant threat of re-opening of healed spots, the chance of infection and the existence of new wounds. In most forms of EB the blisters leave scars. This may lead to the fusion of fingers ortoes, which prevents one from, for example, being able to walk. Besides pain, the blisters often cause a chronic itch, too. Especially on the locations of healed wounds. The itch may be very disturbing and may subsequently cause new blisters through scratching. Quote of a patient: `Sometimes, the itch drives me crazy. I am always itchy. Putting ointment on does not really help. Spots that stick to your clothes, that is annoying too. Sometimes the cloth shifts, then your vest is stuck.' In the situation of internal blistering in the gastrointes-tinal tract,
there are often problems with the intake of food and liquids. In severe cases tube feeding
may The care of children with EB is very exhausting. The parents often make
long
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