osition":0},{"@type":"Answer","text":"Stage 2","position":1},{"@type":"Answer","text":"Stage 4","position":3},{"@type":"Answer","text":"Unstageable","position":4}]}]}20:T685,

Correct answer: C — Stage 3

Stage 3 pressure injury is full-thickness skin loss with visible adipose tissue and granulation tissue, without exposed fascia, muscle, tendon, cartilage or bone.

Why not the others?

Stage 1: Stage 1 is intact skin with non-blanchable erythema, not an open ulcer with tissue loss. Would be correct if the skin were intact but had persistent non-blanchable erythema over a pressure area.
Stage 2: Stage 2 is partial-thickness skin loss with exposed dermis and does not include visible adipose tissue or granulation tissue. Would be correct if the ulcer had a shallow partial-thickness appearance with a red-pink wound bed and no visible fat.
Stage 4: Stage 4 requires exposed or directly palpable fascia, muscle, tendon, cartilage or bone, or deeper tissue destruction. Would be correct if the ulcer exposed or directly involved deep supporting structures such as muscle or bone.
Unstageable: Unstageable injury is obscured by slough or eschar such that the depth cannot be confirmed; the depth here is visible. Would be correct if the wound bed were completely obscured by slough or eschar preventing determination of the tissue depth.

Source: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Comprehensive Care Standard; National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel staging system used in Australian practice.

Pearl: Visible adipose tissue without exposed deep structures indicates stage 3, provided the wound depth is not obscured.

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