Wound Care Made Incredibly Easy

Chapter 4 External threats to skin integrity Just the facts In this chapter you’ll learn about: ♦ Factors that compromise skin integrity

♦ Effects of friction, adhesive, and trauma on the skin ♦ Effects of excessive moisture exposure on skin

Seriously?

Why take skin injuries from external factors seriously? The top three reasons are: 1. First of all, they hurt! For anyone with normal sensation, abrasions and moisture-related injuries are painful. 2. Secondly, they are a break in the body’s first line of immune defense, and there are some nasty organisms out there waiting to invade and cause trouble! 3. Thirdly, anything that compromises skin health puts the person at higher risk for more serious skin injuries such as pressure injuries. So let’s get to it! Many factors can make the skin more susceptible to injury from external forces. With aging, for example, the body produces less se bum and natural moisturizing factor (NMF), and the skin gets drier and thinner. Add to this the natural decline in microcirculation, and we see the effects manifest in wrinkling and thinner, more fragile skin. We also see accelerated skin compromise caused by disease compli cations, such as microcirculatory changes from diabetic neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease. Nurses can counsel patients to make healthy lifestyle choices that improve skin health and can review the use of medications that affect skin.

Trouble in paradise

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