Table of Contents
What does Slough in a wound mean?
Slough refers to the yellow/white material in the wound bed; it is usually wet, but can be dry. It generally has a soft texture. It can be thick and adhered to the wound bed, present as a thin coating, or patchy over the surface of the wound (Figure 3). It consists of dead cells that accumulate in the wound exudate.
What is eschar and Slough?
There are two main types of necrotic tissue present in wounds: eschar and slough. Eschar presents as dry, thick, leathery tissue that is often tan, brown or black. Slough is characterized as being yellow, tan, green or brown in color and may be moist, loose and stringy in appearance.
What does slough tissue mean?
Slough is necrotic tissue that needs to be removed from the wound for healing to take place. When referring to slough, some terms may be used interchangeably, fibrotic tissue or necrotic tissue most commonly.
What is granulation and Slough?
Slough is usually a combination of leucocytes, bacteria, devitalised tissue or debris and usually has a moist, shiny stringy appearance or may be firmly attached to the wound bed. Granulation tissue is a collagen rich tissue forming at the site of an injury during the proliferative phase.
What causes Slough?
Slough is considered to be part of the inflammatory process consisting of fibrin, white blood cells, bacteria and debris, along with dead tissue and other proteinaceous material. It is the cellular debris resulting from the process of inflammation7.
Is a scab Slough?
It can be loose or firmly adherent, hard, soft, dry or wet. It reflects deep damage to tissues and is more severe than slough. To distinguish between a scab and eschar, remember that a scab is a collection of dried blood cells and serum and sits on top of the skin surface.
What does Slough mean in medical terms?
dead tissue separating
Medical Definition of slough (Entry 1 of 2) : dead tissue separating from living tissue especially : a mass of dead tissue separating from an ulcer. slough. intransitive verb.
Can you leave Slough on a wound?
Slough not only contributes to delayed wound healing, it also prevents an accurate wound assessment and can also harbour biofilms. Not one method is suitable for all wounds. As a general rule, different removal methods are required.
What removes Slough?
Wound irrigation, the use of cleansing solutions or a cleansing pad (e.g. Debrisoft®; Activa Healthcare), or the use of dressings – such as hydrogel sheets, honey or iodine cadexomers – can be used to remove slough by clinicians with minimal training.
Can a Stage 3 pressure ulcer have Slough?
Category/Stage 3: Full thickness skin loss Subcutaneous fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed. Slough may be present but does not obscure the depth of tissue loss. May include undermining and tunneling.
How do you remove slough from a wound?
Do you have to debride Slough?
Wound debridement is a necessary process in those wounds that have evidence of cellular debris and non-viable tissue. As slough is a form of non-viable tissue we hypothesise that it will support the attachment and development of biofilms.
Does Stage 2 have Slough?
Stage 2: Partial thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shallow open ulcer with a red pink wound bed, without slough. May also present as an intact or open/ruptured serum- filled blister. Stage 3: Full thickness tissue loss. Subcutaneous fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed.
What are the signs of a pressure ulcer?
Unusual changes in skin color or texture
What are the stages of a pressure ulcer?
Pressure Ulcer Staging Stage 1: Intact skin with non-Stage 2 fi Stage 3: Full thickness tissue loss. Stage 4 Unstageable: Full thickness tissue Suspected Deep Tissue Injury (sDTI): Purple or maroon localized area of discolored intact skin or blood-fi lled blister due to damage of underlying soft tissue from pressure and/or shear.
What is the healing process for a pressure ulcer?
For a stage I sore,you can wash the area gently with mild soap and water.
Is Slough a sign of infection?
Slough will always show signs of stringy textures, yellow coloring, and will be more granular after cleansing. Purulence will always emit an odor after cleansing and will show signs of infection and erythema.