Pressure injury
âŠïž The client has paraplegia and cannot move or feel sensation below the T10 level, creating prolonged pressure over bony prominences.
âŠïž Loss of sensation prevents the client from recognizing discomfort that would normally prompt a position change.
âŠïž The client depends on caregivers and a hydraulic lift for transfers, confirming significant limitations in independent mobility.
âŠïž A Braden Scale score of 15 indicates an increased risk for developing a pressure injury.
âŠïž The clientâs skin is sometimes described as moist and warm, which makes it more vulnerable to friction, shear, and maceration.
âŠïž Repositioning every 2 hours is an appropriate preventive measure, but it does not completely eliminate the risk.
âŠïž Adequate nutritional intake supports tissue repair and skin integrity, although immobility and moisture remain significant threats.
âŠïž The assessment findings therefore identify pressure injury as the complication for which this client is most at risk.
Urinary incontinence
âŠïž Urinary incontinence repeatedly exposes the skin to moisture and irritating substances contained in urine.
âŠïž Prolonged moisture softens the outer skin layer and causes maceration, making the skin easier to damage.
âŠïž Moisture also increases friction when the client is repositioned or transferred.
âŠïž The client cannot independently move away from wet bedding because of paraplegia.
âŠïž Reduced sensation may prevent the client from recognizing that the skin or linens are wet.
âŠïž The nurse should provide prompt incontinence care, apply a moisture barrier, and keep the skin clean and dry.
âŠïž Frequent skin assessment is especially important around the sacrum, buttocks, hips, and heels.
âŠïž Urinary incontinence is the listed factor that most directly contributes to the clientâs risk for pressure injury.
â Dehydration
âŠïž The clientâs urine specific gravity is 1.012 in week 1 and 1.008 in week 2, both within the expected range of 1.005â1.030.
âŠïž The findings do not show concentrated urine or other evidence suggesting inadequate hydration.
âŠïž Dehydration is therefore not the complication most strongly supported by the assessment data.
â Urinary tract infection
âŠïž Urinary incontinence can increase the risk of a urinary tract infection, but no current findings indicate infection.
âŠïž The client has normal post-void residual volumes and no reported fever, dysuria, cloudy urine, or abnormal urine concentration.
âŠïž The scenario more directly supports a pressure injury risk from immobility and moisture.
â Urine specific gravity
âŠïž The urine specific gravity values are within the stated normal range and do not indicate dehydration or impaired urine concentration.
âŠïž A normal urine specific gravity does not directly cause pressure-related skin breakdown.
âŠïž Urinary incontinence, rather than urine specific gravity, exposes the skin to damaging moisture.
â Post-void residual urine
âŠïž The post-void residual volumes of 90 mL and 80 mL are below 100 mL and are identified as normal in the scenario.
âŠïž These values do not indicate significant urinary retention or incomplete bladder emptying.
âŠïž A normal residual volume does not explain the clientâs pressure injury risk as directly as urinary incontinence.