Case Study DM is 68 years old and has a 12-year history of coronary heart disease. She underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery...

Case Study

DM is 68 years old and has a 12-year history of coronary heart disease. She underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery approximately one month ago. She was in the operating room for 11 hours due to post-operative bleeding, and remained on a ventilator until post-operative day 5 due to congestive heart failure. Upon admission to the intensive care unit, she was placed on a therapeutic pressure reduction surface and was unable to turn herself for 24 hours due to her clinical condition.

A large, red "butterfly" shaped wound on the sacrum was recorded on post-operative day three although no measurements were made. On day five the wound had turned black with a sloughy edge to the left rim. Scant tan exudate with erythema surrounds the wound.

You have been called in to assess the wound and treat the patient.

1. Define pressure ulcer
2. Describe how intensity of pressure and duration of pressure affect tissue ischemia
3. List 10 indices of wound healing that should be assessed and recorded.