Pressure ulcers vs skin at risk

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Specializes in LTC-Geriatric-PPS-MDS.

Ok. Been battling this with myself for a while.

Have a pt that has 3 open areas to coccyx,rgt and lft buttocks- on a pt that stays up in w/c or on their back in bed (they literally refuse to turn).

Wound care calls the area shearing... When theres clear induration and drainage..

Do you guys call this shearing?!?

What about a pt that always is seen placing her elbows on tables,w/cs abd bedside tables (hands on ch

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Specializes in LTC-Geriatric-PPS-MDS.

Sorry! Iphones messing up. (Hands on the chin) She developed a "boil" on her elbow.. On a boney prominence that has pressure on it all the time from the pts cognitive status and COPD status.. Its infected and oozing green puss after it "busted" .. Do u get boils on elbows?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Why NOT a boil on the elbow? If it were cultured, you'd have a better idea of the source organism. But even healthy skin has bacterial exposure, so it's NOT improbable that some slight elbow abrasion could have become the route of admission.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

difficult to say without seeing the wound. shearing isn't any less important than whatever you think it is. Treat the area as ordered and if there's no improvement report up the line, wound care should be following it weekly anyway to make changes in tx.

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