A 7-year-old with a myelomeningocele is paralyzed from the waist to her feet. She is either in bed or in a chair day and night. A physical evaluation is performed regularly to check skin integrity. While conducting a skin assessment, the nurse finds a partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis on the sacrum. How does the nurse classify this pressure ulcer on the assessment form?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A second-degree pressure ulcer is characterized by partial-thickness loss of skin with exposed dermis, which matches the description given. First-degree ulcers involve only the epidermis, deep tissue pressure ulcers are characterized by damage under intact skin, and unstageable ulcers have obscured depths due to necrotic tissue.

A 7-Year-Old with a Myelomeningocele Is Paralyzed from the Waist