Skin

What are the layers of the skin?

Epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue.

What 3 components determine skin color?

Melanin (brown), carotene (yellow-orange), and underlying vascular tones (red-purple).

What factors modify skin color?

Skin thickness and presence of edema.

What are the protective and adaptive functions of the skin?

Protection, prevents penetration, perception, fluid balance, temperature regulation, identification, communication, wound repair, absorption/excretion, and vitamin D production.

What are important questions to ask in a skin health history?

Past skin diseases, pigment/mole changes, dryness, itching, bruising, rashes, medications, and environmental exposures.

What should you assess when inspecting skin color?

General pigmentation, freckles, moles, birthmarks, pallor, erythema, cyanosis, jaundice.

How is skin temperature assessed?

Use the backs of hands; check for warmth and bilateral symmetry.

What are the moisture types to look for?

Diaphoresis and dehydration.

What are you checking for in skin thickness and edema?

Thickened areas (calluses) and fluid accumulation.

How do you assess skin mobility and turgor?

Pinch skin to check elasticity and hydration.

What should be noted with lesions?

Color, elevation, shape, size, location, exudate, and pattern.

What does ABCDEF stand for in skin assessment?

Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter (>6mm), Elevation/Evolution, Funny looking.

What skin changes are seen in infants?

Mongolian spots, café-au-lait spots, acrocyanosis, jaundice, lanugo, and nevus simplex.

What are skin changes during adolescence?

Acne with open and closed comedones.

What are common skin changes during pregnancy?

Striae, linea nigra, chloasma, vascular spiders.

What are aging-related skin changes?

Solar lentigines, keratoses, xerosis, thin parchment-like skin, decreased hair/nail growth, brittle nails.

Which color changes must be noted across all skin tones?

Pallor, cyanosis, erythema, and jaundice.

What are common lesion configurations?

Annular, confluent, discrete, grouped, gyrate, target, linear, polycyclic, zosteriform.

Define macule vs. patch.

Macule: flat,

Define papule vs. plaque.

Papule: elevated,

Define nodule vs. tumor.

Nodule: solid, >1 cm. Tumor: larger, may be benign or malignant.

What is a wheal and urticaria?

Wheal: raised, irregular edema. Urticaria: coalesced wheals.

What are vesicles, bullae, cysts, and pustules?

Vesicle: fluid-filled

What are examples of debris on skin surfaces?

Crust and scale.

What are breaks in skin surface?

Fissure, erosion, ulcer, excoriation, scar, atrophic scar, lichenification, keloid.

What are the 4 pressure injury stages?

Stage I: Non-blanchable erythema, Stage II: Partial thickness loss, Stage III: Full thickness skin loss, Stage IV: Full thickness tissue loss.

Name 3 types of hemangiomas.

Port-wine stain, strawberry mark, deep hemangioma.

What are telangiectases examples?

Spider angioma and venous lake.

What are purpuric lesions?

Petechiae, ecchymosis, purpura.

What are common skin lesions in children?

Diaper dermatitis, candidiasis, impetigo, eczema, measles, rubella, chickenpox.

Name other notable skin conditions.

Contact dermatitis, drug reaction, ringworm (body and foot), cold sores, tinea versicolor, shingles, Lyme disease, psoriasis.

What are the 3 major types of malignant skin cancer?

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma.