Wound Assessment and Documentation

By Lindsay D. Andronaco RN, BSN, CWCN, WOC, DAPWCA, FAACWS Wound exudate and how to properly assess and manage it has been a long standing clinical challenge in wound care. Assessing the exudate color, odor, volume, viscosity, and if it is causing maceration of the periwound skin are all important to note when creating a care plan for the patient. If there is not proper management of the exudate, then the high protease levels and low growth factor levels will negatively impact wound healing time.

By the WoundSource Editors Writing up a case report is an important professional activity in not only wound care, but in any other field as well. A case report records the details of the presentation of signs and symptoms, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of a patient case or series of cases. Case reports typically describe an unusual presentation or complication relating to the patient's condition, or a new clinical approach to a common problem. The publication of a case report in a peer-reviewed journal, if that is your intent, is a great addition to your CV, especially if you are new to the profession.

By the WoundSource Editors A myriad of factors need to be addressed when evaluating a patient with a wound. A thorough patient history, including previous wounds, surgeries, hospitalizations, and past and existing conditions will help guide your clinical assessment, in addition to a number of questions specific to the wound(s) being assessed. Following is a list of general questions to ask when evaluating a wound care patient. (Please note that this list is not comprehensive and is intended only to serve as a guide):

By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS The measurement of a wound, and the plotting of its size over time, is the only estimate that can be used to accurately predict wound healing. This includes such variables as wound exudate, the presence of necrotic tissue, slough and granulation tissue, as well as undermining and tunneling.

By Rick Hall, BA, RN, CWON Wound care documentation is a hot topic with overseeing agencies dealing with the medical industry. Good documentation is imperative to protect all those giving care to patients. Documentation should be Legible, Accurate, Whole, Substantiated, Unaltered, Intelligible and Timely. If these components are not incorporated into your wound care documentation, you could end up in a LAWSUIT.

By Michel H.E. Hermans, MD The first time you see your name published as the lead author of an article you are filled with pride. If an article is rejected you are filled with frustration.

By Margaret Heale, RN, MSc, CWOCN Most of the residents here are elderly, though some of the more acute rehab patients are quite a bit younger than me. We actually have five women over a 100 out of 116 people, quite impressive with the eldest being 105 years old. As for me, I am a retired British matron just doing a little volunteer work near where my granddaughter works.

Identifying wound etiology before initiating topical treatment is important. Additionally, correctly documenting wound etiology is significant in health care settings for many reasons. Accurate documentation and appropriate topical treatment are two critical components of a strong wound treatment plan and program. Bedside staff members should be comfortable with describing wounds, tissue types, and differentiating wound etiologies. Training should be provided by the certified wound care clinician, along with follow-up (chart reviews and documentation checks, one-on-one education as needed, and routine competency or education days). Additionally, the wound care clinician should be able to develop an appropriate treatment plan based on wound etiology, by involving additional disciplines as needed to best treat the whole patient.

By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS Arterial ulcers can cause much pain for patients and consternation for the wound care professionals tasked with managing them. Arterial ulcers can be a catch-22 in that many patients with arterial ulcers present with edema, but due to the nature of their problem cannot be safely compressed.

By Steven A. Kahn, MD When treating severe burns, surgeons generally consider eschar removal to be the major factor and the top challenge in both initiating and planning for the optimal course of treatment for each patient. Before grafting, all devitalized tissue must be removed, leaving a wound bed of only healthy tissue. Some burn wounds are clearly full-thickness on initial examination, and some are clearly superficial, with relatively straightforward decision making. However, some wounds have an indeterminate depth and are more challenging. Deep partial-thickness, indeterminate-, and heterogenous-depth wounds require more complex decision making and/or a protracted interval to allow the wound to declare. Eschar removal is sometimes necessary to allow surgeons to assess the wound bed and confirm the depth and severity of certain burns. This, in turn, provides the insights a surgeon needs to determine the best course of treatment, including whether a patient must be treated with an autograft to cover a wound area.