An elderly patient who resides in a nursing home is suffering from a respiratory infection.During the illness,the patient has become incontinent of both urine and stool.The nursing staff used a special cleanser on the perineum,put a moisture barrier on the exposed area,and used absorbent briefs to prevent the skin from becoming soft because of the moisture.What was the staff trying to prevent?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The staff is preventing maceration.For a patient who is incontinent of stool or urine,use a specialized incontinence cleanser.To protect the skin you apply a moisture barrier product (generally petrolatum or dimethicone based)liberally to the exposed area.Select underpads,diapers,or briefs that are absorbent to wick incontinence moisture away from the skin versus trapping the moisture against the skin,which causes maceration (softening of the skin because of moisture).To maintain a stable environment it is important to control infection and promote cleansing,debride (remove)necrotic tissue,provide exudate management,control dead space,and provide wound protection.Dehiscence is the partial or total separation of layers of skin and tissue above the fascia in a wound that is not healing properly.Evisceration occurs when wound layers separate below the fascial layer,and visceral organs protrude through the wound opening.

An Elderly Patient Who Resides in a Nursing Home Is