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What is undermining in wound care?
Wound undermining occurs when significant erosion occurs underneath the outwardly visible wound margins resulting in more extensive damage beneath the skin surface. Consequently, while the external wound might appear small, large areas of tissue loss will be detected beneath the surface when the opening is probed.
What is the difference between wound tunneling and undermining?
Undermining wounds are wounds that also extend under the skin. However, while tunneling usually extends in just one direction, undermining occurs in all directions beneath the wound opening, affecting a larger area of subcutaneous tissue.
How do you know if a wound is tunneling?
A doctor will probe the wound to determine if there are tunnels, how long and deep they are, and what direction they’re heading. Tunneling wounds require careful treatment to prevent them from going deeper and to stop new tunnels from forming.
How do you undermine a laceration?
Undermining refers to the technique of using sterile scissors to bluntly dissect the dermal layer away from the underlying connective tissue. Through the use of this technique, you can take away some of the connective tissue adhesions which anchor the skin in place and remove static tension on the wound.
Is undermining in a wound narrow?
Tunneling Wounds To measure tunneling, a probe is gently inserted into the passageway until resistance is felt. The distance from the tip of the probe to the point at which the probe is level with the wound edge represents the depth of the tunnel.
How is undermining measured?
To measure undermining, check at each area or “hour” of the clock around the wound. Measure the undermining by inserting the cotton tip applicator into the area of undermining and grab the applicator at the wound edge. Measure the applicator against the ruler. When measuring undermining, use ranges.
What causes tunneling and undermining?
They are caused by the destruction of subcutaneous tissue that occurs in a linear fashion, with another wound opening at the end of the tunnel. Sinus tracts are most often associated with surgical infections. The term ‘sinus tract’ is often used interchangeably with ‘tunneling wound’.
How is wound undermining measured?
How do you pack an undermining wound?
Using a sterile gloved hand, a clean gloved hand with either sterile forceps or sterile cotton tipped applicator or sterile metal probe, gently guide enough packing material into the wound cavity, undermining, sinus or tunnel to fill the dead space without causing the wound tissue to stretch or bulge.