Berke CT
Journal of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing : official publication of The Wound, Ostomy an.... Date of publication 2015 Jan 1;volume 42(1):47-61.
1. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2015 Jan-Feb;42(1):47-61. doi:
10.1097/WON.0000000000000087.
Pathology and clinical presentation of friction injuries: case series and
literature review.
Berke CT(1).
Author information:
(1)Christine Thies Berke, MSN, APRN-NP, CWOCN-AP, AGPCNP-BC, The Nebraska Medical
Center, Center for Wound Healing, Omaha.
BACKGROUND: Effective wound management is dependent, in part, on identification
and correction of causative factors. Trunk wounds can be caused by pressure,
shear, moisture, friction, or some combination of these factors. Wounds caused by
moisture and/or friction are frequently mislabeled as pressure ulcers.
CASE SERIES: This article presents a series of 45 patients who developed skin
injuries on the medial buttocks and/or posterior thighs that the author believes
were caused primarily by friction damage to the skin. The lesions were not
located over palpable bony prominences and are therefore unlikely to be pressure
ulcers. They were not located in skin folds and are unlikely to represent
intertriginous dermatitis. Clinical data related to these 45 patients are
presented, as are the location and characteristics of the lesions. These
characteristics are discussed in relation to current literature regarding the
pathology and clinical presentation of wounds caused by pressure, moisture, and
friction.
CONCLUSION: It is critical for wound clinicians and staff nurses to accurately
identify the etiology of any wound. Wounds located on fleshy prominences exposed
to repetitive friction should be labeled as friction injuries.
DOI: 10.1097/WON.0000000000000087
PMID: 25549309 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
