Broken or impaired skin; can include cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, and hangnails is described as what?

Broken or impaired skin; can include cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, and hangnails is described as what?

• A. Damaged skin
• B. Intact skin
• C. Dermal injury
• D. Nonintact skin

Answer: (D)

Skin integrity and barrier function are essential to infection control. When the skin is broken or impaired—such as with cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, or hangnails—the protective barrier is no longer intact. In infection control language, this is described as nonintact skin, signaling a higher risk for microbial entry and guiding the need for appropriate precautions and wound care. The other terms don’t fit as precisely: damaged skin is vague and not a standard infection control term; intact skin refers to healthy, unbroken skin; and dermal injury isn’t the conventional descriptor used in these settings.

Skin integrity and barrier function are essential to infection control. When the skin is broken or impaired—such as with cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, or hangnails—the protective barrier is no longer intact. In infection control language, this is described as nonintact skin, signaling a higher risk for microbial entry and guiding the need for appropriate precautions and wound care. The other terms don’t fit as precisely: damaged skin is vague and not a standard infection control term; intact skin refers to healthy, unbroken skin; and dermal injury isn’t the conventional descriptor used in these settings.