Abstract
Pressure ulcer assessment includes the correct diagnosis, classification, and wound assessment. Pressure ulcers are caused by compression of skin and/or subcutaneous fat and/or muscle tissue between hard internal body structures and hard external devices or support surfaces. Pressure ulcers are classified according to their depth and kinds of involved tissues. Differentiating pressure ulcer from other skin or tissue lesions is difficult and accurate classification is challenging. Pressure ulcer wound assessments further include the determination of location, size, tissue types and their quality, possible undermining, kind and amount of exudates, odor, edge, periwound appearance, and pain. Standardized tools and scores are available for wound assessment and/or predicting of healing.
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Kottner, J., Raeder, K. (2014). Assessment and Documentation of Pressure Ulcers. In: Thomas, MD, D., Compton, MD, G. (eds) Pressure Ulcers in the Aging Population. Aging Medicine, vol 1. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-700-6_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-700-6_4
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