Which statement describes a Stage 1 pressure injury?

Which statement describes a Stage 1 pressure injury?

• A. Stage 2: Partial-thickness skin loss
• B. Stage 3: Full-thickness tissue loss with fat visible
• C. Stage 1: Intact skin with non-blanchable redness
• D. Stage 4: Full-thickness tissue loss with bone exposure

Answer: (C)

Stage I pressure injuries show intact skin with non-blanchable redness. The skin hasn’t broken or formed an open wound, but the area remains red and does not turn pale when pressed. That non-blanchable redness signals early tissue damage from pressure even though the surface looks still whole. In lighter skin, you’ll see a red patch; in darker skin, the change may be a color shift, warmth, edema, or firmness rather than obvious redness. This distinguishes it from later stages, which involve actual tissue loss. Describing partial-thickness skin loss would indicate a Stage II injury, with skin break or blistering. Full-thickness loss with fat visible describes Stage III, and full-thickness loss with bone exposure describes Stage IV.

Stage I pressure injuries show intact skin with non-blanchable redness. The skin hasn’t broken or formed an open wound, but the area remains red and does not turn pale when pressed. That non-blanchable redness signals early tissue damage from pressure even though the surface looks still whole. In lighter skin, you’ll see a red patch; in darker skin, the change may be a color shift, warmth, edema, or firmness rather than obvious redness. This distinguishes it from later stages, which involve actual tissue loss.

Describing partial-thickness skin loss would indicate a Stage II injury, with skin break or blistering. Full-thickness loss with fat visible describes Stage III, and full-thickness loss with bone exposure describes Stage IV.