Risk Assessment and Pressure Area Care
Unit 4222-229
Undertake agreed pressure area care (HSC 2024)
Outcome 1 Understand the anatomy and physiology of the skin in relation to pressure area care:
2) Identify pressure sites of the body: * Shoulders or shoulder blades * Elbows * Back of your ears * Knees, ankles, heals, toes * Spine * Base of spine/sacrum area
3) Identify factors which might put individual at risk of skin breakdown and pressure sores:
Intrinsic risk factors: * Mobility problems * Poor nutrition * Underlying health condition * Over 70 years old * Urinary/bowel incontinence * Serious mental health condition
Extrinsic risk factors: * Pressure from a hand surface, bed or wheel chair * Pressure that is placed on the skin through involuntary movements-muscle spasms * Moisture-can break down the outer layer of the skin
4) Describe how incorrect handling and moving techniques can damage the skin:
Adjusted mobility aids. Equipment/Techniques; Possible Hazard * Chairs; Clients inability to get out of the chair * Seat surface may cause uneven distribution of pressure, Perspiration or friction
(Patient weight & size may cause pressure on arms and hips if too large for chair size) * Wheelchairs; Maybe ill-fitting causing pressure * Tissue damage caused contact with protrusions such as footplates * Beds; Confinement to bed: Client unable to change position: * Mechanism used for sitting patients up may increase pressure on the sacrum. This is an issue for manual beds compared to profiling beds. * Shower/Commode Chairs; Client seated over aperture for long periods * Inappropriate transfer of the patient from one to another may cause friction damage. * Transfer Boards; Bare skin on board surface: Composition of the board may cause grazing: Clothing may be pulled against the skin. Feet or head may be off the end of the sliding surface causing drag. * Sliding Sheets/Low Friction
Undertake agreed pressure area care (HSC 2024)
Outcome 1 Understand the anatomy and physiology of the skin in relation to pressure area care:
2) Identify pressure sites of the body: * Shoulders or shoulder blades * Elbows * Back of your ears * Knees, ankles, heals, toes * Spine * Base of spine/sacrum area
3) Identify factors which might put individual at risk of skin breakdown and pressure sores:
Intrinsic risk factors: * Mobility problems * Poor nutrition * Underlying health condition * Over 70 years old * Urinary/bowel incontinence * Serious mental health condition
Extrinsic risk factors: * Pressure from a hand surface, bed or wheel chair * Pressure that is placed on the skin through involuntary movements-muscle spasms * Moisture-can break down the outer layer of the skin
4) Describe how incorrect handling and moving techniques can damage the skin:
Adjusted mobility aids. Equipment/Techniques; Possible Hazard * Chairs; Clients inability to get out of the chair * Seat surface may cause uneven distribution of pressure, Perspiration or friction
(Patient weight & size may cause pressure on arms and hips if too large for chair size) * Wheelchairs; Maybe ill-fitting causing pressure * Tissue damage caused contact with protrusions such as footplates * Beds; Confinement to bed: Client unable to change position: * Mechanism used for sitting patients up may increase pressure on the sacrum. This is an issue for manual beds compared to profiling beds. * Shower/Commode Chairs; Client seated over aperture for long periods * Inappropriate transfer of the patient from one to another may cause friction damage. * Transfer Boards; Bare skin on board surface: Composition of the board may cause grazing: Clothing may be pulled against the skin. Feet or head may be off the end of the sliding surface causing drag. * Sliding Sheets/Low Friction