What nursing intervention is essential to prevent skin breakdown and pressure ulcers in a patient with a long-term immobilization due to a fracture?

Infection is a complication of fractures that can occur when bacteria enter the body through an open wound or during surgery. It presents with pain, warmth, redness, and swelling at the site.

b. Compartment syndrome: Compartment syndrome is characterized by severe pain, pallor, and loss of pulses distal to the fracture site, not warmth and redness.
c. Delayed union: Delayed union refers to a fracture that takes longer than usual to heal, and it does not typically present with warmth and redness.
d. Osteomyelitis: Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that can develop as a complication of fractures, but it does not typically present with warmth and redness at the site.

: Stress fractures are small, hairline cracks in the bone that occur due to repetitive stress or overuse. They typically present with a gradual onset of localized pain that worsens with activity.

a. Severe pain and deformity: Severe pain and deformity are more commonly seen in acute fractures resulting from trauma or high-impact injuries, not stress fractures.
b. Sudden onset of swelling and bruising: Sudden onset of swelling and bruising is more indicative of acute fractures, not stress fractures.
d. Inability to bear weight on the affected limb: Inability to bear weight may be present in some fractures, but it is not a specific characteristic of stress fractures.