What it means
In skin care, friction is rubbing that can scrape and wear away the top layer of skin, as when a client is dragged across the sheets. Shear is a related force in which the skin stays in place while the tissue underneath slides, as when the head of the bed is raised and the client slides down. Both add to the risk of pressure injuries. In hand hygiene, friction from rubbing the hands helps remove germs. A friction rub is a grating sound heard over inflamed membranes of the heart or lungs.
For the nurse
Use a lift sheet or slide device and enough helpers to lift, not drag, a client when moving up in bed. Rub all surfaces of the hands for at least 20 seconds when washing.
At a glance
| Spanish | fricción |
|---|---|
| Also written | frictional |
Related terms
hand hygiene
Cleaning the hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
positioning
Placing a client's body in a certain position for comfort, safety, treatment or a procedure.
pleural
Having to do with the pleura, the thin two-layer membrane that covers the lungs and lines the chest wall.