Morrow is an obese, 80-year-old white female who developed a venous stasis ulcer on her right medial malleolus while still living at home. She moved into our skilled nursing home care facility 3 days ago.

Patient details below:
Religion: Catholic
Race: White
Next of kin: Daughter- Sandra Hughes
Situation: Mrs. Morrow is an obese, 80-year-old white female who developed a venous stasis ulcer on her right medial malleolus while still living at home. She moved into our skilled nursing home care facility 3 days ago. The current plan of care is focused on promoting wound healing, improving venous return, and preventing skin breakdown.
Background: Mrs. Morrow has a past medical history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Peripheral arterial disease is ruled out by duplex ultrasound. Her daughter had her admitted to this skilled nursing home care facility due to concern for her safety with impaired mobility, an unhealthy diet, and inability to adequately care for herself at home.
Assessment: Mrs. Morrow is alert and oriented, but sometimes forgetful of recent events. Vital signs have been within normal limits and are performed weekly. Results from yesterday’s labs are in the chart. She is on a regular diet with nutritional supplement and has been eating the majority of her meals since admission. She requires assistance with positioning in bed and assistance times 1 to get out of bed to the chair or ambulate. Her gait is unsteady, and she is easily fatigued. Her Braden Scale score is 16, and her skin is intact except for the venous stasis ulcer on the right medial malleolus. She has brown hyperpigmentation on both lower legs with +2 edema. The venous stasis ulcer is covered with a hydrocolloid dressing, which is due to be changed. In preparation for her dressing change, she was medicated for pain half an hour ago.
Recommendation: You should complete a basic assessment, review the labs, perform a wound assessment and dressing change, and then reposition the patient to optimize venous return. Please provide patient education on improving venous return to prevent further stasis ulcers, and continue compression therapy with the use of elastic bandage and an antiembolism stocking.
Taylor, C., Lynn, P., Bartlett, J. (2019). Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Care, 9th Edition.
Factors Affecting Skin Integrity, Chapter 32, pp. 1045-1047
Types of Wounds, Chapter 32, p. 1048, Table 32-1
Principles of Wound Healing, Chapter 32, p. 1049, Box 32-1
Factors Affecting Wound Healing, Chapter 32, pp. 1050-1052
Pressure Injury, Chapter 32, pp. 1053-1059
Wound Assessment; Pressure Injury Assessment, Chapter 32, pp. 1062-1066
Preventing Pressure Injury, Chapter 32, 1068-1070
Documentating Wound Care; Evaluating, Chapter 32, pp. 1082-1085
Diagnostics
Expert Clinical Content from Lippincott Advisor
Albumin level test Albumin level test
Prealbumin test Prealbumin test
Pharmacology
Expert Clinical Content from Lippincott Advisor
Aspirin Aspirin
Acetaminophen Acetaminophen
Signs and Symptoms
Expert Clinical Content from Lippincott Advisor
Edema (leg) Edema (leg)
Treatments
Expert Clinical Content from Lippincott Advisor
Wound care (irrigation) Wound care (irrigation)
Wound care (pressure ulcer) Wound care (pressure ulcer)
Procedures
Expert Clinical Content from Lippincott Procedures
Antiembolism stocking application, knee-length Antiembolism stocking application, knee-length
Assessment differences in the older adult, long-term care Assessment differences in the older adult, long-term care
Hydrocolloid dressing application Hydrocolloid dressing application
Skin assessment, long-term care Skin assessment, long-term care