What it means
Eschar is brown or black and feels leathery. It forms over pressure injuries and deep burns. A pressure injury covered by eschar cannot be staged, because the depth of the wound is hidden. Eschar usually has to be removed (debrided) before the wound can heal, but stable, dry eschar on the heels is often left in place as a natural cover. Deep burns all the way around a limb or the chest can form eschar so tight that it limits blood flow or breathing.
For the nurse
Do not remove dry, stable eschar on the heels. Report eschar that turns soft, wet or loose, or skin around it that becomes red, warm or draining.
At a glance
| Spanish | escara |
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Related terms
necrosis
The death of cells or tissue in a part of the body.
dressing
A covering placed on a wound to protect it and help it heal.
wound care
The cleaning, protecting and dressing of a wound to help it heal and to prevent infection.
granulation tissue
New, moist, red tissue that fills a healing wound from the bottom up.