Providing quality skin and wound care for the bariatric patient: an overview of clinical challenges.

Obesity, (defined as body mass index [BMI] ≥30), and especially morbid obesity (defined as BMI ≥40), has a profound impact on the health and integrity of the patient's integumentary system and on the caregivers who strive to provide care for larger, heavy patients. The purpose of this overview is to address some common skin and wound care issues faced by bariatric patients in order to inform clinicians, patients, and caregivers and enable them to optimize care. For bariatric patients, extra attention must be paid to skin care, cleanliness, skin fold management, perigenital care, odor management, and effective pressure redistribution. Despite these interventions, the multifactorial challenges presented by morbid obesity increase patient risk for serious skin diseases and wound conditions. Implications for practice include how best to educate patients and caregivers for optimal problem prevention. Future research should target improving bariatric care equipment and decreasing risk indices.