Unsure of wording to use for a red bum while charting!

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i work as a psw (cna) in home health. in my psw classes we did touch on charting but not in any great depth and i haven't learned anything about charting yet in ns. anyway, i have a clt whose bum crack is red and has a nickle sized sore between the cheeks. the first time i had a clt with a sore on the bum i did chart using similar words to what i just wrote. how unprofessional!! :eek: i left that clt's home feeling very embarrassed because i was unsure of how to describe it on paper. this time i charted; clt c/o sore buttocks. psw observed crease of clt's buttocks red with nickle sized sore in crease. though the wording is better, i'm still unsure of how to chart something about the inside of someone's bum!! please help!! next time i want to be able to sound like a professional. i know i will learn proper charting eventually, but i'd still like to do it properly as a psw.:uhoh3:

thanks in advance for any tips!!!:heartbeat

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What you wrote sounds fine to me.

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Specializes in Med Surg-Geriatrics.

Excoriated with a small open area noted apprx _cm

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excoriated with a small open area noted apprx _cm

oooh...that sounds good!! thanks! i don't mean to sound ditzy...but would i state on the buttocks?! i hate feeling like such a newbie!!

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Specializes in Med Surg-Geriatrics.

"Excoriated Buttocks" Sm open area noted to coccyx etc..

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Specializes in Med Surg-Geriatrics.

...Between folds if actually between folds of buttocks..

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

Is the butt-crack also known as the gluteal cleft? Or is that something else?

I have charted things like "erythema noted on ____ buttock (left or right)". The previous posters sound very professional in their descriptions! I am still getting used to charting.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
Is the butt-crack also known as the gluteal cleft?

Here in the states we call it the gluteal fold. We also refer to reddened areas as being erythemic.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

Thanks! I know I have heard of a gluteal cleft, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing. 'Gluteal fold' sounds professional, so that's what I will use.

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Is the butt-crack also known as the gluteal cleft?

Another term is gluteal sulcus (if you want to get really fancy :)).

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"Non-blanchable redness over sacrum/coccyx; 1 cm diameter open area in buttocks cleft approx. 8 cm above orifice"

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
...Between folds if actually between folds of buttocks..
If you want to use anatomical terms, refer to the butt crack at the gluteal cleft and the folds under the butt cheeks as the gluteal folds.
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