Classifying Skin Tears: – Validation of a New Classification System for Skin Tears

Abstract:

The appropriate management of patients with skin tears is an ongoing challenge for healthcare professionals. Skins tears are often painful, acute wounds resulting from trauma to the skin and are largely preventable.  Despite preliminary studies that suggest skin tears may be more prevalent than pressure ulcers, there remains a paucity of literature to guide prevention, assessment, and treatment of skin tears. In 1993, Payne and Martin  developed a  classification system on skin tears   that failed to become universally accepted.   An international survey by LeBlanc and Baranoski (2010) indicated that healthcare professionals would like a more simplistic skin tear classification system.

In an effort to shift awareness towards this largely unheeded healthcare issue, a consensus panel of 13 internationally recognized key opinion leaders convened to establish consensus statements on the prevention, prediction, assessment and treatment of skin tears. The initial consensus panel meeting was held in January 2011, and was made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Hollister Wound Care Inc. The meeting resulted in the development and publication of 12 key consensus statements and a definition for skin tears.

A follow up meeting of the panel in December 2011, resulted in the development of a new classification system based on the work of Payne and Martin (1993) and Carville et al (2006). This poster details the newly developed classification system and validation process.  Recommendations for future research and the steps toward establishing a validated, comprehensive program for managing skin tears will be discussed.