Skin Integrity and Wound Healing Flashcards
** The nurse is caring for a client in the hospital. Which type of skin-related issue is most prevalent in healthcare?
pressure ulcer formation
Function of melanin and sebum
protection
Ways skin promotes thermoregulation
sweating
lifespan changes for skin: babies
reduced ability to thermoregulate
more susceptible to rashes, blistering, chafing
lifespan changes for skin: toddler/preschool
sunscreen
injuries from playing
lifespan changes for skin: school/ adolescent
- lice, scabies, impetigo
- acne
- sunscreen
lifespan changes for skin: adult/older adult
- dry skin more common
- wrinkling and poor skin turgor
- slower healing
health related factors that can damage skin
- nutrition
- circulation
- allergy or infection
- abnormal growth rate
mechanical forces that can damage skin
- pressure
- friction
- shear
injury, such as knife, gunshot, burn, or surgical incision; heals within 6 weeks
acute wound
wound that persists beyond usual healing time (>6 mo) or recurs without new injury to the area
chronic
break present in the skin; tissue damage present
open
no break seen in the skin, but soft tissue damage evident
closed
closed surgical wound that did not enter GI, respiratory, or genitourinary tract
clean
wound entering GI, respiratory, or genitourinary systems; infection risk
clean/contaminated
Open, traumatic wound; surgical wound with break in sepsis; high infection risk
contaminated
Wound site with pathogens present; signs of infection
infected
pressure ulcer with sloughing, eschar, potential tunneling. bone/tendon/muscle NOT exposed
stage III
pressure ulcer that’s blanchable
stage I
pressure ulcer that exposes bone/tendon/muscle
stage IV
pressure ulcer that’s partial-thickness loss of dermis
stage II
stage of a full-thickness wound that doesn’t extend to the bone, tendon, or muscle. The wound tunnels and has some sloughing. What stage?
stage III
Measures to prevent pressure ulcers
- repositioning and turning
- lift rather than drag patients when pulling up in bed
- specialty mattress/bed
- protective creams or lotions
immediate phase of wound healing
hemostasis: vasoconstriction, platelet aggregation, clot formation
up to day three of wound healing
inflammatory phase: vasodilation, phagocytosis
day 4-21 of wound healing
proliferative phase:
- partial thickness - epithelialization
- full thickness - granulation/contracture
21 days to 2 years of wound healing
maturation (full thickness only)