What is the difference between undermining and tunneling?

Undermining Wound. However, while tunneling usually extends in just one direction, undermining occurs in all directions beneath the wound opening, affecting a larger area of subcutaneous tissue. While undermining may extend to a wider area than tunneling, tunneling usually extends deeper into the subcutaneous tissue.Click to see full answer. Subsequently, one may also ask, how is tunneling and undermining measured? Undermining and Tunneling To measure undermining: Check for undermining at each location, or “hour,” of the clock. Measure depth by inserting a cotton-tip applicator into the area of undermining and grasping the applicator where it meets the wound edge. Then measure against the ruler, and document the results.Also Know, how do you know if a wound is tunneling? To measure tunneling, a probe is gently inserted into the passageway until resistance is felt. The distance from the tip of the probe to the point at which the probe is level with the wound edge represents the depth of the tunnel. Clock terms are often used to describe the position of the tunnel within the wound bed. Similarly, it is asked, how do you describe undermining? Wound undermining occurs when the tissue under the wound edges becomes eroded, resulting in a a pocket beneath the skin at the wound’s edge. Undermining is measured by inserting a probe under the wound edge directed almost parallel to the wound surface until resistance is felt.What causes undermining of a wound?Another cause of undermining is pressure being applied to the wound. Forces such as shearing placed on a wound can cause the tissue under the skin to become damaged, resulting in undermining. Pressure ulcers often have undermining because of lack of blood flow and pressure being applied to the wound.