Skin, hair, nails Flashcards
Function of the skin
- protection
- prevention of penetration
- perception
- temperature regulation
- identification (uniqueness of each individual)
- communication (blushing, blanching)
- wound repair
- absorption and excretion (some wastes/by-products)
- production of vitamin D
Considerations for assessment of skin
- pressure ulcers
- severe dehydration
- acute injury or lacerations (burns or deep wounds)
- suspicious rashes indicating infection
- cyanosis
- temperature
Skin turgor
- pinch and pull- if able to bounce back= good skin turgor
- chest, back of hand
Subjective data for skin assessment: SAMPLE
- S= symptom assessment (OPQRSTUV)- location
- A= allergies
- M= medications
- P= past history (encompasses childhood, medical, surgical, family, social, environmental, mental health)
- L= last visit to health professional
- E= evaluation of functional assessment
Other subjective data for skin/hair/nails to collect
- personal history; family history of skin disease (allergies, hives, psoriasis, eczema)
- change in color/pigmentation: hypopigmentation= loss of pigmentation, hyperpigmentation= increase in color; is the color change generalized or localized?- generalized e.g. pallor, jaundice, cyanosis= systemic illness
- change in mole: growth, neoplasms, itching, tenderness, bleeding
- pruritis (itching): most common of skin symptoms, occurs with dry skin, aging, medication reaction, allergy, obstructive jaundice, uremia, lice infestation
- excessive dryness or moisture: seborrhoea- oily, xerosis- dry; seasonal or constant?
- bruising, itching, rash or lesions: consider posibility of abuse, frequent falls (dizziness of neurological/CV origin), frequent minor trauma (possibly an adverse effect of alcoholism or other substance use), determine migration pattern/evolution
- change in nails
- hair loss: alopecia (significant loss), hirsutism (shaggy/excessive hair)
- environmental or occupational hazards: unprotected sun exposure –> lesions
- medications: aspirin/antibiotics/barbiturates/some tonics= produce allergic skin eruption, sulphonamides/thiazide diuretics/oral hypoglycemic agents/tetracycline= increase sunlight sensitivity and produce burn response, antimalarials/antineoplastic agents/hormones/metals/tetracycline= hyperpigmentation
- self-care behaviors: what do you do to care for your skin/nails/hair? what cosmetics, soaps or chemicals do you use?
- nutritional status
Objective assessment of skin
- color
- temperature
- moisture and texture
- edema
- mobility and turgor
- vascularity: circulation, visible blood vessels
- lesions and wounds
Skin inspect and palpate: Color- expected findings
Evenness of general pigmentation color
Skin inspect and palpate: Color- unexpected findings
- pallor: acute high-stress states, exposure to cold, cig smoking, anemia (assess conjunctiva and nail beds), local arterial insufficiency, shock
- jaundice: rising amounts of bilirubin in blood, liver inflammation, hemolytic disease, post severe burn state or infections, carotenemia (ingestion of large carotene-rich foods), uremia
- cyanosis: tissues are not adequately perfused with oxygenated blood, chronic heart and lung disease, exposure to cold, anxiety
- erythema (redness): from excess blood, expected with fever, local inflammation and increased skin temperature, polycythemia (increased number of RBCs), alcoholic intake, blushing, CO poisioning, venous stasis
Skin inspect and palpate: Temperature
- assess with dorsal aspect of hand- skin thinner on back of hand than palms
- simultaneous comparison bilaterally
Skin inspect and palpate: Temperature- expected findings
skin should be warm, temperature should be equal bilaterally (indicates normal circulatory status)
Normal conditions when hypothermia occurs
- generalized coolness may be induced for surgery or high fever
- localized coolness is expected with an immobilized extremity e.g. limb in cast, intravenous infusion
Abnormal conditions when hypothermia occurs
- general hypothermia accompanies central circulatory problems e.g. shock
- localized hypothermia occurs in peripheral arterial insufficency and Raynaud’s disease
Normal conditions when hyperthermia occurs
- generalized hyperthermia occurs with an increased metabolic rate e.g. fever, after heavy exercise
- localized area feels hyperthermic with trauma, infection or sunburn
Abnormal conditions when hypertermia occurs
hyperthyroidism produces an increase in metabolic rate, causing warmth and moistness of skin
Skin inspect and palpate: Moisture, texture and thickness
use palmar surface of fingers and hand
Skin moisture: Perspiration vs Diaphoresis
- Perspiration: response to activity, anxiety or a warm environment, appears normally on the face, hands, axilla and skinfolds
- Diaphoresis: accompanies an increased metabolic rate e.g. fever, occurs with thyrotoxicosis and with stimulation of the nervous system with anxiety or pain
Skin inspect and palpate: Texture- expected findings
smoothness, firmness, evenness
Skin inspect and palpate: Texture- unexpected findings
- hyperthyroidism: skin feels smoother and softer like velvet
- hypothyroidism: skin feels rough, dry and flaky
Skin inspect and palpate: Thickness- expected findings
thickened areas normal on palms and soles (calluses- circumscribed over growth of epidermis and is an adaptation to excessive pressure from the friction of work and weight bearing)
Skin inspect and palpate: Thickness- unexpected findings
skin is very thin and shiny (atrophic) with arterial insufficiency
Skin inspect and palpate: Edema
- most evident in dependent parts of body (feet, ankles, and sacral areas), where the skin looks puffy and tight
- fluid accumulating in the intercellular spaces and is not normally present
- to check for edema: imprint your thumb firmly against the ankle malleolus or the tibia, normally the skin surface resumes its smoothness immediately, if your pressure leaves a dent in the skin- “pitting” edema is present, presence is graded on 4-point scale
4-point edema scale
- 1+: mild pitting, no indentation, no perceptible swelling of the leg
- 2+: moderate pitting, indentation subsides rapidly
- 3+: deep pitting, indentation remains for a short time, leg looks swollen
- 4+: very deep pitting, indentation lasts a long time, leg is very swollen
Skin turgor vs mobility
- mobility: skin’s ease of rising
- turgor: skin’s ability to return to place promptly
Skin inspect and palpate: Vascularity/bruising
- multiple contusions
- cherry angiomas: slightly raised bright red that commonly appear on the trunk, normally increase in size and number with aging and are not significant
- varicosities: any bruising (ecchymosis) should be consistent with expected trauma of life, normally no venous dilations or varicosities (swollen veins)
Skin lesion characteristics to assess
- color
- elevation
- pattern/shape (grouping or distinctness of each one)
- size (cm)
- location and distribution (is it generalized or localized?)
- any exudate: color, odor, amount
- tenderness, mobility, consistency
How to palpate skin lesions
- wear gloves
- roll nodule between the thumb and index finger to assess depth
- gently scrape a scale to see whether it comes off- note the nature of its base or whether it bleeds when the scale comes off
- note the surrounding skin temperature
Primary skin lesion
direct result of the disease process, lesion develops on previously unaltered skin
Secondary skin lesion
evolves from primary (may be caused by scratching, trauma, infection, healing process)
Skin inspect and palpate: Wounds
- location
- size
- color
- texture
- drainage
- margins
- surrounding skin
- stage or phase of healing
Inspecting hair
- color: comes from melanin production and may vary from pale blond to totally black, greying normally begins as early as the 3rd decade of life because of reduced melanin production in the follicles
- texture: fine or thick, should look shiny
- distribution: fine vellus hair coats the body, coarser terminal hairs grow at eyebrows, eyelashes and scalp, hirsutism: excess body hair
- hair loss
- hair shaft
- lesions: separate hair into sections and life it, observing the scalp, when the patient has a history of itching inspect the hair behind the ears and in the occipital area, all areas should be clean and free of any lesions or pest inhabitants, many people normally have seborrhea (dandruff)
Palpating hair
smoothness and security
Inspecting nails: Shape and contour (profile)- expected findings
- nail surface is slightly curved/flat (160 degrees or less), and the posterior and lateral folds are smooth and rounded
- nail edges are smooth, rounded and clean, suggesting adequate self-care
Inspecting nails: Shape and contour (profile)- unexpected findings
- chronic iron-deficiency anemia may present with “spoon” nails, a concave shape
- paronychia (red, swollen, tender inflammation of the nail folds) occurs with trauma or infection
- jagged nails, nail bitten to the quick, or truamatized nail folds from chronic nervous picking suggests nervous habits
- chronically dirty nails suggests poor self-care or chronic staining of some occupations
Inspecting nails: Color- expected findings
- translucent nail plate shows an even pink nail bed underneath
- white hairline linear markings