**What Are Pressure Injuries?**
Pressure injuries (formerly called pressure ulcers or bedsores) are localized damage to the skin and underlying soft tissue, usually over a bony prominence or related to a medical device. Common sites include sacrum, heels, ischial tuberosities, and greater trochanters.
**Staging Classification**
- Stage 1: Non-blanchable erythema of intact skin. May be painful, firm, soft, warmer or cooler compared to adjacent tissue.
- Stage 2: Partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis. Wound bed is viable, pink or red, and moist. May present as intact or ruptured serum-filled blister.
- Stage 3: Full-thickness skin loss. Fat is visible and granulation tissue and rolled wound edges are often present.
- Stage 4: Full-thickness skin and tissue loss with exposed or palpable fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, or bone.
**Unstageable and Deep Tissue Injuries**
- Unstageable: Full-thickness skin and tissue loss in which the extent of tissue damage cannot be confirmed because it is obscured by slough or eschar.
- Deep Tissue Pressure Injury: Persistent non-blanchable deep red, maroon, or purple discoloration.