What is this condition called in bariatric patients?

[0.adamantite]

I was involved in helping clean a dead patient. The patient was extremely overweight though I'm not sure exactly, however we are talking 500+ lbs. The nurse I was working with was more experience and said, "Look at this. This is something you might not see again." The nurse point out the way the patient's pannus was oddly misshaped. Most of it seemed to be located on one side of the patient and it was hard, lumpy, and discolored. The nurse explained to me that since the patient preferred to lay on one side most of his life and was so overweight that his stomach pannus had moulded into that shape due to the way he was laying.

I ask because I did in fact see this again recently. I was trying to describe it to a coworker and in my chart. Is there a name for this condition?

[mercurysmom]

Lymphedema?

[Libby1987]

Lymphedema?

And with elephantiasis?

[0.adamantite]

I googled lymphedema and elephantiasis in the abdomen and it might be this, although it both cases these patients did not appear to have an infection or any reddness / purulent drainage.

Obesity-Associated Abdominal Elephantiasis

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I would not necessarily call it anything. I would, however, describe it in the charting "Pt has a distention of the lower L quad of abdomen. ____CM in length, __________CM in width. Not painful to touch, rigid/palpates_______ (some other descriptive word on the quality of the skin--firm to touch or not). No S/SX of redness, drainage. Will continue to monitor."

When you bring it to the attention of the MD, (and you should) the MD will diagnose it (or not) and give orders on what to do from there (which may be not a thing but to monitor it).

It should be noted as part of your head to toe assessment. When reporting off "area of distention, MD aware, no new orders" would be the thought process I would use.

[JWG223]

Sounds to me like the blood of the deceased migrated to the lowest point. In this case, that part of the pannus.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

I would not necessarily call it anything. I would, however, describe it in the charting "Pt has a distention of the lower L quad of abdomen. ____CM in length, __________CM in width. Not painful to touch, rigid/palpates_______ (some other descriptive word on the quality of the skin--firm to touch or not). No S/SX of redness, drainage. Will continue to monitor."

When you bring it to the attention of the MD, (and you should) the MD will diagnose it (or not) and give orders on what to do from there (which may be not a thing but to monitor it).

It should be noted as part of your head to toe assessment. When reporting off "area of distention, MD aware, no new orders" would be the thought process I would use.

Good thought process BUT he was dead.Like The parrot in the Monty Python sketch

[Paws2people]

Good thought process BUT he was dead.Like The parrot in the Monty Python sketch

Ahh, but the OP saw it again recently, in a live patient... At least I THINK the pt was alive???

[0.adamantite]

Yes the second patient I saw it in was alive, a new admission.

[ktwlpn, LPN]

I know,I was ignoring the facts to make my feeble attempt at humor.If you are not familiar with Monty Python look up The Parrot sketch on you tube.

[nurse4ever08]

I think it's tissue scarring like when a diabetic injects insulin into the same spot and it gets hard.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

It's called panniculus; according to Wikipedia; I'll keep looking for a more verifiable source, but eh, here your go:

Panniculus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia