You have been chosen to do a department inservice on pressure ulcers for the medical unit you work on
a. Discuss the four stages of pressure ulcers.
b. How can they be prevented?
c. What are the risks for developing pressure ulcers?
Students' answers should include the following:
a. Pressure ulcers are categorized in four stages from redness to damage down to the bone.
• Stage I is intact skin that is red and fails to resume normal color when pressure is relieved.
• Stage II is when the pressure sore is red and has a shallow skin break or blisters.
• Stage III is when there is superficial damage and may have serous drainage with microbial organisms and fairly painless.
• Stage IV is life threatening and may lead to sepsis. Stage IV has dead tissue with local infection.
b. Pressure ulcers are breaks in the normal skin due to compromised skin, usually over bony prominence.
Normal skin is a protective barrier from microorganisms attacking the body.
Pressure ulcers occur over bony areas and are due to blood vessels not being relieved of pressure.
Reducing risks include moisturizing skin, massaging bony areas, turning and repositioning, keeping skin clean and dry, and padding areas subject to pressure and friction.
c. Dehydration, poor nutrition, inactivity, immobility, vascular disease, and incontinence among other disease processes increase risks.
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