Applied Skin Flashcards
Skin damage in nursing practice
- pressure ulcers
- surgical wounds
- traumatic wounds
- ulcerating cancers
- burns
- non-infectious/infectious conditions
- chronic LT conditions
- allergies
Nurses role in managing patients with skin damage
- to identify and assess patients skin including skin mapping
- identify risk factors
- carry out wound care
- aid patients with personal hygiene and continence needs
- escalate to MDT
- administer medications
SSKIN bundles
The SSKIN care bundle assessment to be used alongside the water low assessment tool
- Surface - equipment
- Skin inspection
- Keep moving - reposition schedule
- Incontinence - moisture may damage stratum corneum
- Nutrition - MUST score
Braden Q
Tool for assessing children’s pressure areas
Focuses of occipital area
Skin assessment and identifying risk
OBSERVE»_space;>colour, mottling, dry, loose, abrasion
TOUCH»_space;> clammy, wet, sensitive, cap refill
POSITIONING»_space;> repositioning, pain or movement
CLOTHING»_space;> lose, restrictive, soiled
MEDICATIONS»_space;> creams, steroids, allergies
SKIN CONDITIONS»_space;> chronic, acute, infectious
MALNUTRITION»_space;> assessed alongside SSKIN bundle
SKIN MAP»_space;> document and repeat weekly
Wound assessment»_space;> categorise the wound
- vascular - arterial/venous/both
- neuropathic (diabetic)
- moisture associated dermatitis
- skin tear
- pressure ulcer
Think of cause - may be multifactorial
Pressure ulcer
A localised injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence as a result of pressure, or pressure combination with shear. A number of contributing or confounding factors are also associated with pressure ulcers.
Moisture associated skin damage
A reactive response of the skin to excessive moisture from sweat, urine, faecal matter or wound exudate, which could be observed as an inflammation and erythema with or without erosion. Typically there is a loss of the epidermis and the skin appears macerated and painful.
Medical device related pressure ulcer
A pressure ulcer that had developed due to sustained pressure from a medical device such as a plaster cast, splint, O2 therapy, masks, tracheostomy or urinary catheters.
Stage 1 pressure ulcer
- intact skin with a localised area of non-blanchable erythema, which may appear differently in darkly pigmented skin
- presence of blanchable erythema or changes in sensation, temperature or firmness may precede visual changes
- colour changes do not include purple or maroon discolouration, these may indicate deep tissue pressure injury
Stage 2 pressure ulcer
- partial thickness loss of skin with exposed dermis
- the wound bed is visible, pink/red, moist and may also present as an intact or ruptured serum-filled blister
- sub-cut/adipose is not visible, deeper tissues aren’t visible. Granulation tissue, slough and eschar aren’t present
Stage 3 pressure ulcer
- full thickness skin loss
- subcutaneous fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle aren’t exposed
- slough may be present but doesn’t obscure the depth of tissue loss. May include tunnelling
- depth of category 3 pressure ulcers vary by anatomical position. The bridge of nose, ear, occipital and alveolus don’t have subcutaneous tissue and therefore ulcers may be shallow.
Areas of significant adiposity can develop extremely deep category 3 pressure ulcers
Stage 4 pressure ulcers
- full thickness tissue with exposed bone, tendon or muscle
- slough or eschar may be present on some parts of the wound bed
- often includes tunnelling
- the depth of category 4 ulcers varies due to anatomical location
- category 4 ulcers can extend into muscle and supporting structures making osteomyelitis possible
- exposed bone/tenon is visible or directly palpable
Unstageable pressure ulcer
- depth unknown
- full thickness tissue loss in which the base of the ulcer is covered by eschar
- stable eschar on the heels serves as the body’s natural cover and should not be removed
Deep tissue injury
- resistant non-blanchable deep red areas of skin, intact or blood filled blisters caused by damage to underlying tissues
- common for a thin blister to form over the surface. Wound may be further covered by eschar
- these are often not visible until they have advanced to the point where treatment is significantly more problematic
- known to deteriorate quickly even under optimal care