Pressure Ulcers

The next classification is also the easiest to miss completely in pressure ulcers, regardless of skin color.  This is is the Stage 1 Ulcer.  This is because stage 1 ulcers are reddened skin.

Like with all pressure ulcers they're most common on the bony prominence or where your body has increased and regular contact with other surfaces without moving.

The difference between a stage 1 pressure ulcer and reddened skin is its behavior.  Reddened skin when blanched (turned to white by external pressure) immediately shows return of blood (redness to the area).  A stage 1 pressure ulcer will remain white.

Treatment of the stage 1 ulcer is remarkably similar to the deep tissue injury.  This is because the skin is still intact.

The big difference between a stage 1 ulcer and a deep tissue injury is that the injury experienced in a stage 1 ulcer is at the skin rather than at the bone and advancing outwards, therefore not only is more known but it is proven that early nutritional support, regular turning and repositioning, and good cleansing of the skin can heal a stage 1 ulcer before it degrades into something else.

Again like the deep tissue injury these can be next to impossible to spot on non- Northern European skin, and unlike deep tissue injuries these can be mistaken for redness and still manage to successfully heal without any intervention so the staff fails to recognize them as ulcers.

There's not a lot to say on stage 1 ulcers that is not the same as DTI's. Close monitoring is necessary regular turning and repositioning is necessary, but it is very common for stage 1 ulcers to be under reported and under diagnosed.

I like to compare things to the real world and experiences outside of medicine to help make medicine come alive, but this doesn't really have a real world relationship the way that next week's ulcer- the stage 2 does, so stay tuned for me.