COVID-19 Miniseries Episode 68: Skin Integrity in Patients with COVID-19

Guest: Jennifer L. Elmer, APRN, CNS, D.N.P.; Brianna M. Skrukrud, APRN, C.N.P.

Host: Amit K. Ghosh, M.D. (@AmitGhosh006)

Pressure injuries in bedridden patients present significant challenges​, which are compounded in the patient with a COVID-19 diagnosis. In this episode we discuss the problems encountered in preventing, diagnosing, and managing skin alterations in patients with COVID-19. Jennifer L. Elmer, APRN, CNS, D.N.P. and Brianna M. Skrukrud, APRN, C.N.P., two wound care experts at Mayo Clinic, discuss situations ​in which, despite best efforts, pressure injuries are unavoidable and why COVID-19 poses a great risk for skin alterations in hospitalized patients. They also discuss the 2020 position statement of National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) on the management of skin alterations during the COVID-19 crisis.

Additional resources:

• Unavoidable Pressure Injury during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Position Paper from the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel https://cdn.ymaws.com/npiap.com/resource/resmgr/white_papers/Unavoidable_in_COVID_Pandemi.pdf
• Skin Manifestations with COVID-19: The Purple Skin and Toes that you are seeing may not be Deep Tissue Pressure Injury https://cdn.ymaws.com/npiap.com/resource/resmgr/white_papers/COVID_Skin_Manifestations_An.pdf

Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.