You are a visiting nurse caring for a 32-year-old writer who became paraplegic as a result of a motorcycle accident 1 year ago. He is recovering from a subsequent depression; your visits are to monitor not only his emotional outlook but also to encourage his hygienic self-care and offer strategies for his success. He wears a leg bag and is incontinent of stool. You are monitoring a red spot on his left buttock, which has progressed to a pressure ulcer in which subcutaneous fat is visible.
Outline the mechanisms that contributed to the development of the pressure ulcer.
What specific assessments should be performed to prevent formation of pressure ulcers?
How would you stage his pressure ulcer?
Indicate the information that would be included in an assessment of his wound.
Identify appropriate outcomes for this patient's plan of care.