Stage IV Pressure UlcersWound staging is the appropriate way to describe a pressure ulcer. According to National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) Guidelines, stage IV pressure ulcers are characterized by: "Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle. Slough [dead tissue separated from living tissue] or eschar [dead tissue cast off from the surface of the skin] may be present on some parts of the wound bed. Often include undermining and tunneling.
The depth of a stage IV pressure ulcer varies by anatomical location. The bridge of the nose, ear, occiput and malleolus do not have subcutaneous tissue and these ulcers can be shallow. Stage IV ulcers can extend into muscle and/or supporting structures (e.g., fascia, tendon or joint capsule) making osteomyelitis possible. Exposed bone/tendon is visible or directly palpable." Before classifying a wound as a pressure ulcer, it should be established that there is not another health condition that predisposed the individual to the wound and that would change the wound type. Many lower extremity wounds of diabetic and arterial origin have been mistaken for pressure ulcers, and if care is not used to establish and understand the conditions driving the wound, then some important components of a comprehensive treatment plan may be overlooked. To appropriately establish wound type and cause, a thorough wound assessment should be completed as required by state and federal guidelines. The Advanced Healing Institute Wound Assessment Guideline requires a detailed assessment of the whole patient and their history as well as other factors including duration of the wound, patient’s recollection of the causative factors, complaints of pain, fever, numbness or drainage. Proven Treatment for Pressure Ulcers The TRUHEAL Wound Program is a proven method for healing non-healing or slow-healing stage IV pressure ulcers in every care setting, including the home. The TRUHEAL Wound Program is the outcome of exhaustive research in wound care outcomes by Advanced Healing Institute. TRUHEAL combines two breakthrough therapies with well-researched procedures to speed up the wound healing process, even when other treatments have failed. Innovative technologies include:
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