title: Preventing skin breakdown in the immobile child in the home care setting.
abstract: The potential for skin breakdown presents significant challenges to the healthcare providers of physically compromised children. Pressure ulcers (PUs) can lead to grave and costly problems in the care of immobile children, contributing to hospital admissions solely for the treatment of skin breakdown and related complications; infection, septicemia, and potential death. Skin breakdown and the development of PUs in children is often overlooked as pediatric healthcare providers do not fully understand or realize the risks. Although there is little written related to skin breakdown and the risk of PU development in children, it is important for nurses who work with children to be fully aware of the factors that place a child at increased risk.
authors.affiliation: Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University Health, USA. mmccaske@iuhealth.org
authors.forename: Marjorie S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: McCaskey
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerdes
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology