Question

A PT is treating a patient who was originally diagnosed

with a pressure injury stage 3. The patient presents to
clinic with ulcer shown in the picture. Which of the
following findings is MOST accurate?

A. No change has occurred in the pressure injury
B. The pressure injury has improved to Stage 1
C. The pressure injury has improved to Stage 2
D. The pressure injury has progressed to Stage 4

Answer 1

The most accurate finding is that 'No change has occurred in the pressure injury,' as a healing Stage 3 pressure injury does not revert to an earlier numerical stage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question refers to the assessment of a pressure injury's stage. It is crucial to recognize that pressure injuries can regress in stages as they heal, but they do not revert back to earlier numerical stages. For example, a Stage 3 pressure injury that improves won't be called a Stage 1 or Stage 2 but rather a 'healing Stage 3'. Therefore, the most accurate finding if the ulcer shows signs of improvement but was originally a Stage 3 injury is that 'No change has occurred in the pressure injury', because it would still be referred to as a Stage 3 while it is healing. This assessment relies on the clinician's judgment of the current state of the injury compared to its initial presentation.