How do you treat skin tears in the elderly?

How do you treat skin tears in the elderly?

Treatment

1. Wash your hands.
2. Control the bleeding.
3. Gently clean the wound with warm clean water.
4. Gently pat dry with a clean towel.
5. If a skin flap is still attached, try to replace it by gently rolling the skin back over the wound.
6. Cover the wound with a clean, non-stick pad.

How can the care worker prevent skin tears in elderly clients?

Preventing skin tears

1. Assess for risk on admission to healthcare services and whenever the patient’s condition changes;
2. Implement a systematic prevention protocol;
3. Ensure those at risk wear long sleeves, long trousers or knee-high socks;

How can you reduce the risk of skin tears?

Plans to prevent skin tears that employ skin sleeves, padded side rails, gentle skin cleansers, moisturizing lotions, as well as staff education, can decrease by half the number of skin tears incurred in a long-term care facility.

What is best dressing for skin tear?

A hydrogel dressing over the soft silicone net dressing can hydrate the wound.

What is in hydrogel dressing?

Hydrogel dressings are composed of about 90% water suspended in a gel made up of insoluble hydrophilic polymers which swell up on contact with water. They are typically made from polymers of synthetic molecules, such as polymethacrylate and polyvinylpyrrolidine, and some are combined with alginate dressings.

What strategies can the nurse use to assess prevent and manage skin tear?

Prevention of Skin Tears Prevention strategies should include: assessment of the skin on admission and routinely throughout the patient’s stay. optimization of nutrition status (which may require dietary/nutrition support) increasing moisture content of the skin with regular use of emollients/moisturizers.

What are the major causes of skin tears in aged care facilities?

The main causes of skin tears are mechanical trauma, often from wheelchair injuries, removal of adhesive tapes or dressing, transfers and falls,1,6-8 though in some cases no apparent cause is found.

What are the 5 categories of skin tears?

Stage 1 – non-blanchable erythema. Stage 2 – partial thickness skin loss. Stage 3 – full thickness skin loss. Stage 4 – full thickness tissue loss.

When do you use silicone dressing?

When are soft silicone dressings indicated? Soft silicone dressings can be used on a wide range of low to highly exuding wounds, including pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers, traumatic wounds (eg skin tears), partial thickness burns and for skin graft fixation.

What is Vaseline gauze?

Vaseline® Petrolatum Gauze is a sterile, occlusive dressing consisting of fine-mesh, absorbent gauze impregnated with approximately three times its weight of white petrolatum. • Petrolatum impregnate remains moist to minimize drying out and adherence.

What is the difference between hydrocolloid and hydrogel?

Hydrocolloid dressings are wound dressings that are occlusive and adhesive and can form a gel with water. Hydrogel dressings have similar properties in a gel consistency. Various hydrocolloid gels and dressings have been used in wound management to maintain moisture and aid in debridement of necrotic tissue.