Skin tears – a serious issue

Leukoplast skin sensitive – treat skin tears gently

Image showing a close up of an elderly person with a Leukoplast skin sensitive dressing

Skin tears – a serious issue

“Skin tears represent more than one in ten wounds in skilled nursing facilities.”¹ They are an often-misunderstood issue and can become a serious problem if not treated correctly.

When a skin tear occurs, a comprehensive approach to treatment is required. The selection of wound care products depends on individual patient needs and is crucial for successful wound healing.

Silicone-based dressings allow for atraumatic removal, ensuring that fragile skin is not further harmed. That’s why we recommend you try Leukoplast skin sensitive – a very comprehensive range of silicone-based dressings.

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Experience the atraumatic removal

Try Leukomed^® skin sensitive yourself

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Your complete care solution for skin tears: Leukoplast STEPS

Based on the ISTAP (International Skin Tear Advisory Panel) best practice protocol, Leukoplast STEPS provides easy-to-follow guidance on all aspects of skin tear management, including selecting the correct products for your patients.

Everything at a glance:

Solutions for every stage of skin tear care

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Treatment

Ready-to-use products

Products with a soft silicone adhesive cover the special needs of fragile and sensitive skin. Compared to standard adhesives, soft silicone adhesives require less peel force upon removal and enable an atraumatic dressing removal to reduce the risk of adhesive-related skin injuries.

Leukomed® skin sensitive >>
Leukomed® T plus skin sensitive >>

Learn more about Leukoplast® skin sensitive >>

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Recovery

Low levels of compression are recommended for all patients with lower limb skin tears. Products like JOBST soSoft are suitable.

For patients with venous leg ulcers who have had a full vascular assessment, high compression can be used. Products like JOBST Ulcer care and JOBST Farrow Wrap may be considered.

Visit the JOBST® website >>

Prevent

Choosing the right skin care products for individual patient needs is essential for skin tear prevention. "Skin moisturisers aim to repair or strengthen the skin barrier, maintain or increase its water content, reduce trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) and restore or improve the intercellular lipid structure"².

Products such as TENA® PROskin Body Lotion and Barrier Cream are specifically designed for sensitive, ageing skin, and they are effective and caring.

Visit the TENA® website >>

All you need to know: Watch our video

Skin tears constituted 41.5 % of known wounds amongst residents (with an average age of 80 years) in a 347-bed Western Australian long-term care facility³.

A skin tear prevention program implemented in a nursing and rehabilitation center with 209 beds in North America reduced the costs for dressings and labor by $1,698 per month⁴.

Good to know: the basics of skin tears

What are skin tears?

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"A traumatic wound caused by mechanical forces, including removal of adhesives. Severity may vary by depth (not extending through the subcutaneous layer)."(5)

Not to mix up with 'laceration' ⁵
Can cause complications, e.g. infections ^3,6
Healing time varies from weeks (acute) to months (complex/chronification) ⁵

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Type l: No skin loss

Linear or flap tear which can be repositioned to cover the wound bed.

Type ll: Partial flap loss

Flap cannot be repositioned to cover the wound bed.

Type lll: Total flap loss

Entire wound bed exposed.

How to treat skin tears?

The ISTAP recommends the following protocol:⁵

Control bleeding

To stop the bleeding, apply pressure and, if necessary, elevate the limb.

Cleanse and debride

Clean the wound to remove hematoma or residual debris. In case of a necrotic skin flap, it may need to be debrided. Re-approximate the skin flap if it is still viable.

Manage infection

Determine wound infection based on wound assessment signs and symptoms and take appropriate infection control measures. Check the patient's tetanus immunization status.

Monitor wound edge/closure

Skin tears typically close within 14-21 days. Address all factors that could delay healing, such as diabetes, peripheral oedema, etc. Consider compression therapy if the wound is on the lower leg.

Control moisture

Moisture balance is essential to promote wound healing and to protect the peri-wound skin from maceration. Observe the volume and viscosity of the exudate when selecting a topical wound dressing.

Who's at risk?

Certain groups of patients with fragile skin, such as the elderly and newborns, are at a high risk of skin tears. Various intrinsic and extrinsic factors increase the risk of skin tears.

Elderly patients and infants

Patients with frequent dressing changes

Patients with disease-related fragile skin

Patients on certain medications

More information

Leukoplast STEPS wall chart

Your trusty reminder: the most important things to know at a glance.

Download poster >>

Learn more from ISTAP

Comprehensive information from the International Skin Tears Advisory Panel.

Go to ISTAP website >>

Contact us

If you would like to know more about Leukoplast skin sensitive, or simply discuss how we can support you in reducing the risk of skin tears, just fill out the form below and one of our dedicated representatives will be in touch shortly.

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