An elderly bedridden patient has a sacral ulcer that presents as a shallow open ulcer with a red pink wound bed, involving full loss of the epidermis and partial loss of the dermis, without slough or exposed deeper structures. According to the NPUAP staging system, this is:

• A Stage I
• B Unstageable
• C Stage III
• D Stage II ✓

Explanation

Stage II pressure injury is defined as partial-thickness loss of skin with exposed dermis, appearing as a shallow open ulcer with a red pink moist bed, or as an intact or ruptured serum-filled blister, without slough or exposed fat, muscle, or bone. Stage I is intact non-blanchable erythema, Stage III extends into subcutaneous fat, and unstageable means the base is obscured by slough or eschar.

Reference: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 21st ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.