The 4 stages are now as the following;
Stage 1 – characterised by a reddening over bony areas. The redness on the skin does not go away when pressure is relieved.
Stage 2 – characterised by blisters, peeling or cracked skin. There is a partial thickness skin loss involving the top two layers of the skin.
Stage 3 – characterised by broken skin and sometimes bloody drainage. There is a full thickness skin loss involving subcutaneous tissue (the tissue between the skin and the muscle.)
Stage 4 – characterised by breaks in the skin involving skin, muscle, tendon and bone and are often associated with a bone infection called osteomyelitis.
Foot Ulcers occur for the following reasons;
Neuropathic – loss of sensation in the feet.
Arterial – due to poor blood flow to the lower extremity. This type of ulcer can be very painful and is usually found on the tips of toes, lower legs, ankle, heel and top of the foot. It can very easily become infected.
Venous – This type of ulcer is due to compromised veins. It is commonly seen around the inside of the ankle and are slow to heal.
Decubitus – This type of ulcer is caused by excessive prolonged pressure on one area of the foot. The most common place to see this type of ulcer is in a person confined to bed and they occur on the backs of the heels.
