Stage IV pressure injuries extend through all skin layers with exposed bone, tendon, or muscle. Undermining and tunneling are common, and osteomyelitis frequently develops.
Staging follows the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel system.
Alternative Names:
Stage 4 Pressure Ulcer, Full Thickness Tissue Loss
Why it Matters?
A Stage IV wound is the highest-value pressure injury claim because it implies prolonged failure to intervene across the earlier stages. Pressure injuries progress through identifiable stages, so a Stage IV wound raises the question of what the record documents at Stage I and II and whether repositioning and offloading were performed. Some wounds are unavoidable in terminal or severely compromised residents, but that defense requires contemporaneous documentation of the assessment and interventions attempted.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Why does staging matter in litigation?
Are any pressure injuries unavoidable?
