Which factor most influences a patient’s risk for pressure injury?

• A. Immobility and prolonged pressure.
• B. Regular repositioning and pressure relief.
• C. Adequate hydration and nutrition.
• D. Hyperglycemia.

Answer: (C)

Tissue tolerance and integrity depend heavily on having adequate nutrition and fluids. When the body receives enough protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals, skin and collagen stay strong, immune function supports healing, and tissues have the energy they need to repair micro-damage. Hydration keeps the skin supple and maintains capillary perfusion, which helps withstand and recover from prolonged pressure. If nutrition or fluids are poor, the skin becomes thinner and less resilient, healing slows, and tissue breaks down more easily under the same amount of pressure.

Regular repositioning and pressure relief helps reduce the force and duration of contact, but it’s the body's ability to tolerate and recover from pressure—driven largely by adequate nutrition and hydration—that determines how likely a pressure injury is to develop in the first place. Hyperglycemia can impair healing, but the foundational factor for whether tissues hold up under pressure is adequate nourishment and fluids.