pressure injury staging
Surgery and anaesthesia
Also known as: pressure ulcer categories · Dekubitus-Klassifikation (NPIAP/EPUAP) · Dekubitus-Kategorien · bası yarası evreleri · Pressure injury / pressure ulcer classification (NPIAP/EPUAP)
What it is for
Pressure injuries (pressure ulcers, Dekubitus) are graded by the depth of tissue loss; the international guideline uses "Category/Stage". Categories:
Classification
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Category/Stage 1 | intact skin with a localised area of non-blanchable erythema (may look different in darker skin; warmth, oedema or firmness can precede colour change). |
| Category/Stage 2 | partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis; pink or red moist wound bed or intact/ruptured serum blister; no fat, slough or eschar visible. |
| Category/Stage 3 | full-thickness skin loss; fat may be visible, slough or eschar may be present; fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage or bone not exposed. |
| Category/Stage 4 | full-thickness skin and tissue loss with exposed or directly palpable fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage or bone. |
| Unstageable | full-thickness loss whose depth is hidden by slough or eschar; once the base is visible it becomes Stage 3 or 4. |
| Deep tissue pressure injury | intact or non-intact skin with persistent non-blanchable deep red, maroon or purple discoloration, or epidermal separation showing a dark wound bed or blood-filled blister. |
| Device-related | describes the cause, staged with the same system; mucosal membrane pressure injuries are documented but not staged. |
Source
Classification. In: Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Clinical Practice Guideline. The International Guideline, 4th edition
NPIAP / EPUAP / PPPIA · NPIAP, EPUAP, PPPIA; Haesler E (ed.), 2026
- Edition
- International Guideline 4th edition (NPIAP/EPUAP/PPPIA, online 2 Sep 2026), which keeps the Category/Stage system; definitions follow the NPIAP 2016 staging revision
- Checked on
Summary of the published classification in our own words. Not a substitute for the original publication.
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