The nurse is assessing a child's skin turgor and grasps the skin on the abdomen between the thumb and index finger, pulls it taut, and quickly releases it. The tissue remains suspended and tented for a few seconds, then slowly falls back on the abdomen. How should the nurse document this finding?

• A. Adequate hydration.
• B. Normal skin elasticity.
• C. Poor skin turgor.
• D. Assessment inconclusive.

Answer: (C)

The test for skin turgor shows how quickly the skin returns to its normal position after being stretched. When the skin on the abdomen is pinched and released, rapid snapping back indicates adequate hydration, while tenting with a slow return suggests decreased turgor from dehydration. In this scenario, the tissue remains tented for a few seconds and then slowly sinks back, signaling poor skin turgor due to dehydration. Therefore, the finding should be documented as poor skin turgor.

For context, normal skin elasticity would involve a quick recoil, not a delayed one, and labeling the assessment inconclusive isn’t appropriate here because the result is clearly indicative of decreased turgor.