More damage done to paralyzed left arm as a result of carelessness.

Question: My husband suffered a stroke which caused his entire left side with no feeling or movement. Recently, my husband possibly could have been turned in bed facing his left side. It's possible that his arm may have been lying underneath his body instead of to the side of his body. His arm is extremely bruised and his left hand is swollen. He is in a lot of pain as well. What kind of damage can result in this kind of situation to the left arm if it is lying underneath the body instead of to the side of his body and can it affect the arm's ability to heal?

Answer: He needs to see a physician right away to have an appropriate diagnosis. Sleeping on an arm for a prolonged period of time could lead to various problems which could be serious including nerve compression, compartment syndrome, or ischemia to name a few. Without knowing the specific diagnosis or if there is damage, it is impossible to know what the outcome might be. I would not delay in seeing a physician though because in addition to the serious problems mentioned above, the symptoms you are describing are ones that can be seen with blood clots as well.

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