Promoting Healthy Skin and Feet

Question 1

Define integument

Answer 1

the natural covering of an organism or organ– the skin

Question 2

What are the physiological functions of the skin?

Answer 2

-regulates body temperature
-serves as a vehicle for sensation
-stores fat
-is a component of the metabolism of salt and water
-is a site for two-way gas exchange
-is the site for the production of vitamin D, when exposed to sunlight

Question 3

Define xerosis

Answer 3

extremely dry, cracked, and itchy skin– the most common skin problem experienced by older people

Question 4

Define pruritis

Answer 4

itchy skin (symptom not a diagnosis)

Question 5

Define Herpes Zoster

Answer 5

other wise known as Shingles

a viral infection frequently seen in older persons– immunosuppressed older people and those with a history of chicken pox are at greatest risk

Question 6

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Answer 6

chills, fever, GI disturbance, malaise, and pain or paresthesia then a painful, burning rash

infectious until the lesions become crusty

Question 7

Define keratoses

Answer 7

a thick, scaly, or crusty patch of skin that is associated with frequent exposure to the sun

There are two types: seborrheic and actinic

Question 8

How are seborrheic and actinic keratosis different?

Answer 8

Seborrheic– a benign growth that appears mainly on the trunk, face, neck and scalp as single of multiple lesions

Actinic– a precancerous lesion that may become a squamous cell carcinoma found on the face, lips, hands and forearms

Question 9

What is the ABCDE acronym used for?

Answer 9

melanoma diagnosis

asymmetry, border irregularity, colour, diameter, evolution

Question 10

What is the difference between vascular insufficiency and venous insufficiency?

Answer 10

vascular is in the arteries and venous is in the veins

Question 11

Define candidiasis

Answer 11

a fungus (called yeast) that presents on the skin of any healthy person

Question 12

Who is most at risk for a pressure injury?

Answer 12

those who are frail, non-ambulatory, and/or neurologically impaired

Question 13

What are corns and calluses?

Answer 13

growth of compacted skin that occurs as a result of prolonged pressure, usually from ill-fitting, tight shoes

corns are cone shaped and develop on the top of toe joints and calluses are thickened and hard parts of the skin

Question 14

Describe bunions

Answer 14

bony deformities that develop from the longstanding squeezing together of the first and second toes

can be treated with corticosteroid injections, anti-inflammatory pain medication or surgery if necessary

Question 15

Describe hammer toes

Answer 15

a toe that is permanently flexed, giving it a claw-like appearance, the condition is a result of muscle imbalance and pressure from the great toe slanting toward the second toe and the toe then contract, leaving a bulge on top of the joint

Question 16

Describe fungal infections

Answer 16

characterized by degeneration of the nail plate, change in the colour of the nail (yellow or an opaque brown), and brittleness and thickening of the nail. A fine, powdery collection of fungus forms under the center of the nail to dig into the skin like an ingrown toenail.

very common on the aging foot and the incidence increases with age

Question 17

What does onychomycosis mean?

Answer 17

nail fungus

Question 18

What are the essential aspects of a foot assessment?

Answer 18

observation of mobility, past medical history and bilateral assessment comparing feet

Question 19

When should nails be trimmed?

Answer 19

after the bath or shower when they are soft, but if that isn’t possible the soaking the feet for 20-30 min before care is sufficient– nails should also be cut straight across, even with the top of the toe, with the edges filed slightly to remove sharpness

Question 20

What does hard, thickened nails indicate?

Answer 20

inadequate nutrition to the nail matric because of trauma or poor circulation– once the nail becomes thick it will remain so

thick, hard nails split easily, causing trauma, pain and possibly infection

Question 21

What is an ingrown toenail?

Answer 21

a fragment of nail that pierces the skin at the edge of the nail– often a consequence of the hypertrophy of the nail with onychomycosis, improper cutting of the nail, or pressure exerted on the toes by tight hosiery or shoes