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P A T I E N T
P O S I T I O N I N G
TROUBLE SPOT Lift heels off the surgical surface to offload the tender area and facilitate circulation.
the extremities. When normal capillary interface pressure is compromised, tissue surrounding the capillaries is jeopardized. Damage can
be seen in a matter of hours or up to 3 days after the circumstances
that caused the injury.
Friction is parallel force acting on the skin. It can be especially damaging to the skin's superficial layers and usually affects the dermis.
Shear force, meanwhile, exerts a diagonal force to distort and compress tissue; deeper surfaces are more vulnerable to shear force.
Skin tears, which occur on extremities because of shearing or friction forces, are traumatic injuries that separate the epidermis from
the dermis. They commonly occur in the very old or very young, and
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2013
