Question

need asap for skin assessment. bucks traction and collecting sterile urine specimens.

Answer 1

Skin assesment in bucks traction patient.

-Assess the patients peripheral skin for any discoloration like cyanosis to determine compromised blood flow due to the tight traction .

-Assess the skin over bony prominences (Sacrum ,trochanters,scapula ,elbows,heels ,inner and outer maleolus,inner and outer knees and back of the head)for the risk of pressure injury.

-Assessment of peripheries of the exposed leg part for any odema to rule out the compromised venous flow.

-Assess the skin for any redness or itching to rule out any product allergies.

collecting sterile urine specimens.

-Assess the patient cognitive ability and physical status for the collection of sterile urine sample.

-If the patient is cognitive ,then advice to wash hands and clean the perineal area and catch a mid stream urine in the sterile container.

-If the patient is not fit for own collection then a sterile catheter catch is done. Here Nurse cleans the perineal region and insert a sterile folleys catheter to drain the desired sterile urine and removes it after collection.

-If the collection is for a catheterised patient then the nurse will collect the specimen from the catheter withdrawal port.

-Specimen should be correctly labeled and sent to lab without delay.