Pressure Ulcers

Pressure Ulcers

  • Localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue (usually over a bony prominence) as a result of pressure or pressure in combination with shear
  • Located at tailbone, heels, hips, shoulder blades, ankles, elbows, ears, and the back of your head.

Risk factors for pressure ulcers

  • Advanced age
  • Immobility
  • Anemia
  • Impaired circulation
  • Contractures
  • Incontinence
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Low diastolic blood pressure (<60 mm Hg)
  • Elevated body temperature
  • Mental deterioration
  • Friction (rubbing of surfaces together)
  • Neurologic disorders
  • Obesity
  • Prolonged surgery
  • Pain
  • Vascular disease

Nursing Assessment

  • Conduct a thorough head-to-toe assessment on admission to identify and document any pressure ulcers.
  • After admission, conduct periodic reassessment of the skin and wounds.
    • Assessment tool such as the Braden Scale

Nursing Diagnosis

  • Impaired skin integrity related to mechanical factors and physical immobilization
  • Impaired tissue integrity related to impaired circulation and imbalanced nutritional state

Planning

  • Have no deterioration of the ulcer
  • Reduce or eliminate the factors that lead to pressure ulcers
  • No developing infection in the pressure ulcer
  • Have healing of pressure ulcers
  • Have no recurrence

Share:

More Posts

Heart Attack Symptoms and Signs

Email Print Language switcher Español Not all heart attacks begin with the sudden and crushing chest pain that comes when the blood flow to heart

12 Things You Want to Know About Flu

Office on Women’s Health Editorial note: Content for the Q&A is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Find all of CDC’s information