Treating skin tears in nursing home residents: A pilot study comparing four types of dressings

Abstract

A pilot study was conducted to compare four types of dressings used to treat skin tears in nursing home residents. Wounds treated with a non-occlusive dressing healed more quickly than those dressed with occlusive dressings. The results suggest that ease of use and product wastage are important considerations when treating skin tears. The pilot study also highlights the need for further research into skin tear management and the need for ongoing education for nurses regarding skin integrity risk assessment and product information.

Identification of risk factors associated with the development of skin tears in hospitalised older persons: a case–control study

“…As a result of the slow replenishment of epidermal cells, which is an inevitable physiological change associated with skin as one ages, it will take longer to repair a skin tear (1). Both of these effects may explain why a previously healed skin tear plays an important role in our model and why they have been previously identified as potential risk factors by a number of authors (4,5,10,13,23,26,27).Given the strength of the association found in this study and the localised nature of any vulnerability related to the site of a previous skin tear, an alternative explanation may be that evidence of previous skin tears simply indicates that a person's skin is particularly susceptible to tearing and/or that because of their own or others' behaviour their skin is subject to more frequent trauma.…”

“…This study has proposed a simple model to explain skin tear development using six variables: four that describe characteristics of the individual's skin; the fifth, oedema, that directly affects the skin; and the sixth, the inability to independently reposition, which reflects the physical status of the person and the need for frequent handling. In a number of earlier publications , five of the six have been identified previously to be associated with skin tears, or as potential risk factors for their development.…”

“…The high prevalence of skin tears among older people has been related to the pathophysiological changes that occur in ageing skin, the increased incidence of falls among this cohort and their increased requirement of manual handling . Other risk factors are visual impairment, impaired mobility or balance, altered mental status and the use of certain medications such as corticosteroids or anticoagulants .…”

Prevention and Management of Skin Tears

“…3 In addition, the skin flap may be lifted during removal of adhesive products, and healing slowed. 22 If the skin tear is infected or extensive, the wound should be assessed by a physician, enterostomal therapist, or another wound care specialist to determine the best treatment options. 27 CONCLUSION Skin tears represent a specific and challenging type of laceration that primarily affects older adults.…”

Skin tear prevalence and associated factors: a systematic review

“…Although some researchers suggest that Skin Tear is more prevalent than pressure ulcers and burns (4)(5) , ST go unnoticed as they are shallow traumatic wounds, occurring mainly in elderly ends resulting from friction or a combination of friction and shear, leading to separation of the epidermis from the dermis (partial thickness wound) or completely separating the epidermis and the dermis from the underlying structures (total thickness wound) (6) . They are regarded as inherent to the age, inducing the feeling of an irrelevant condition, however, they cause pain and can easily be infected (2)(3)(4)7) .…”