Pressure Ulcer: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

• General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
  • Inspection (viewing) of the skin [leading symptoms.
    • Skin discoloration
    • Edema
    • Hardening of the skin]

    Decubital ulcers occur primarily on bony prominences – the following sites are commonly affected:

    • Coccyx
    • Heel
    • Trochanter (large rolling mound on the femur).
    • Sacrum
    • Shoulder blade
    • Spinous processes of the spine
• Dermatological examination [due todifferential diagnoses:
  • Chronic wounds, unspecified (arterial ulcer; venous ulcer; diabetic gangrene).
  • Erythema (areal skin redness), unspecified]

  [due topossible sequelae:

  • Chronic wound
  • Wound infections]
• Neurological examination if necessary [due tocause: multiple sclerosis (MS)?]

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.