Pressure ulcers

Katherine Constable, MSN, CWONPatty Brown, BSN, CWOCN

Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Skin Facts•Largest organ of the body covers approximately 3000 square inches receives 1/3 circulating blood volume.

•From birth to maturity, the skin will undergo a sevenfold expansion.

•Weighs about 6 pounds

•1cm of skin has 15 sebaceous glands, 3 yards of blood vessels, 100 sweat glands, 3,000 sensory cells, 4 yards of nerves, 300,000 epidermal cells and 10 hair follicles

•This organ is capable of self-generation and can withstand limited mechanical and chemical assault.

Factors

Decreased sensation Decreased mobility Nutritional challenged Incontinence of urine and stool Decreased perception Shear and Friction

Assessment

VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE TAIL

Assessment

Conduct skin assessment within 4 hours admission

Inspect skin daily Use the 7 day principle Use a risk assessment scale Braden Note moisture, pressure, shear, friction Document

Perineal Dermatitis

Skin problems experience by our patients with wound drainage, fecal and urinary incontinence or offending chemical exposure to the perinium causing excoriation, irritation, frequently with satellite lesion (ie yeast).

6 factors identified

Chronic exposure to moisture Fecal and urinary incontinence Limit amount of pads Alkaline ph Overgrowth or infection with pathogen Friction or shearing

Treatment Cleanse area with warm water Pat dry and use 3M wipes Use nystatin powder next to skin Cover with extra protective cream w/

antifungal use q12 hours or prn Stop the stooling/urine i.e. butt bag or fecal

management system. Use dri flows under patient- chux trap body heat! Get a low air loss overlay.

A bit of lusting after someone does wonders for the skin.

Elizabeth Hurley

Scope Of The Problem

2.5 million patients treated in acute-care facilities annually.

Pressure ulcer incidence range U of L Hospital is 5.3% (compared 7-9%).

Estimated cost $40,000. Treatment cost is estimated $11 billion.

Pathophysiology

Prolong pressure Sudden impact Shear and friction

Shear

Diminishes circulation to tissue and damages tissue and blood vessel integrity

Skeleton moves but the skin remains fixed to the surface

Moisture Speeds up decomposition of

tissue. Ph balance → tissue fragility Macerated tissue is prone to

more erosion. Incontinence greater risk of PU.

Nutritional Needs

% total weight loss

Complications mortality

10% Impaired immune fx,

Increased infection

20%

30% Weakness, pneumonia poor healing, too weak to sit, no healing

50%

40%

Death (pneumonia)

100%

Stage I

Intact skin with non-blanchable redness of a localized area usually over a bony prominence. Darkly pigmented skin may not have visible blanching; its color may differ from the surrounding area.

Further description: The area may be painful, firm, soft, warmer or cooler as compared to adjacent tissue. Stage I may be difficult to detect in individuals with dark skin tones. May indicate “at risk” persons (a heralding sign of risk).

Stage II

Partial thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shallow open ulcer with a red pink wound bed, without slough. May also present as an intact or open/ruptured serum-filled blister.

Further Description: Presents as a shiny or dry shallow ulcer without slough or bruising.* This stage should not be used to describe skin tears, tape burns, perineal dermatitis, maceration or excoriation.

After 3 weeks

Difference between Stage I and II

Stage I

Red non-blanching

Skin intact

Stage II

Partial thickness Shallow crater

Fluid filled blister

Mattress Selection

Stage III

Full thickness tissue loss. Subcutaneous fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed. Slough may be present but does not obscure the depth of tissue loss. May include undermining and tunneling.

Further Description: The depth of a stage III pressure ulcer varies by anatomical location. The bridge of the nose, ear, occiput and malleolus do not have subcutaneous tissue and stage III ulcers can be shallow. In contract, areas of significant adiposity can develop extremely deep stage III pressure ulcers. Bone/tendon is not visible or directly palpable.

Difference between Stage II and III

Stage II

Partial thickness Shallow crater

Fluid filled blister

Stage III

Full thickness with subqExposure may have

undermining and/or tunneling

Stage IV

Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle. Slough or eschar may be present on some parts of the wound bed. Often include undermining and tunneling.

Further Description: The depth of a stage IV pressure ulcer varies by anatomical location. The bridge of the nose, ear, occiput and malleolus do not have subcutaneous tissue and these ulcers can be shallow. Stage IV ulcers can extend into muscle and/or supporting structures (e.g., fascia, tendon or joint capsule) making osteomyelitis possible. Exposed bone/tendon is visible or directly palpable.

Unstageable

Full thickness tissue loss in which the base of the ulcer is covered by slough (yellow, tan, gray, green or brown) and/or eschar (tan, brown or black) in the wound bed.

Further Description: Until enough slough and/or eschar is removed to expose the base of the wound, the true depth, and therefore stage, cannot be determined. Stable (dry, adherent, intact without erythema or fluctuance) eschar on the heels serves as “the body’s natural (biological) cover” and should not be removed.

(Suspected) Deep Tissue Injury

Purple or maroon localized area of discolored intact skin or blood-filled blister due to damage of underlying soft tissue from pressure and/or shear. The area may be preceded by tissue that is painful, firm, mushy, boggy, warmer or cooler as compared to adjacent tissue.

Further Description: Deep tissue injury may be difficult to detect in individuals with dark skin tones. Evolution may include a thin blister over a dark wound bed. The wound may further evolve and become covered by thin eschar. Evolution may be rapid exposing additional layers of tissue even with optimal treatment.

After 2 weeks

After 4 weeks

Difference between Stage I and DTI

Stage I

Recovers within 24 hours with pressure relief.

Red or eggplant color

Skin intact

DTI

Doesn’t recover within 24 hours with pressure relief

Develops rapidly into Stage II

Purple/ischemic looking

Practice Time

Beauty may be skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone.

Redd Foxx