wound descriptions

[nursesaurus]

Ok, I know what granulation tissue and eschar is and what it looks like. I'm new to wound nursing in a home health care setting and there are some words when it comes to wounds that I don't know what they are. I didn't deal with wounds in such an in depth way in assisted living. What exactly is slough? Clean non-granulation tissue? And what exactly does epithelial mean? I know it is skin but I don't quite understand how it pertains to wounds. To me it means that it is healed. I just need some clarification. Please be nice, I have had issues with people being mean before. I have been a nurse for over a year I just need some clarification and any info or resources are appreciated. Thank you!

[kdhnursern]

Here is a good link for wounds:

http://www.woundconsultant.com/files/Wound_Documentation_Tips_6.07.pdf

This is from Wound Care Education Institute - which has a great Wound Care Certification program.

[margo533]

Slough tissue is that white-ish (or grey-ish) looking glunk you see adhering to an otherwise pink-to-red wound bed. After a week with a transparent dressing over eschar, you'll see it connecting the eschar to the (hopefully) granulating wound bed. It's necrotic tissue, the forerunner to eschar, if it dries out enough. That's the pure and simple way to characterize it. Epithelialization or epithelium is the top layer you see "crowding in" on a healing wound with sequential observations.

--margo533, CWOCN since 1995

[knorahs65]

Slough tissue is non-viable tissue, it's the stuff that is not going to heal.