risk factors
Last reviewed 01/2018
These include:
- immobility as a principal prerequisite
- incontinence
- other moisture at site e.g. sweat, pus
- reduced sensation
- hypotension
- oedema
- dehydration
- septicaemia
- inability to communicate discomfort e.g. coma
- malnutrition
With age and severity of trauma, there is an increased frequency of these conditions. Increasing age also changes the makeup of the skin, including reduced numbers of dermal blood vessels, decreased elasticity, flattening of the dermo-epithelial junction and increased skin permeability.