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Chronic Wound Progression

WoundSource Practice Accelerator's picture
Submitted by WoundSource Pra... on March 22nd, 2019
Keywords: 
Chronic Wounds, Practice Accelerator
Biofilm Management

by the WoundSource Editors

The returning wound patient is in for reassessment. They are positioned for maximum visualization of the wound. You remove the dressing. Clean the wound. After a few additional steps, it's time to measure the wound's progress. Using your measurement tool, you take careful note of the wound’s measurements. In comparing the measurement with the previous visits, you realize that the wound has stalled out.

Blog Category: 
Education, Practice Accelerator

Chronic Wound Breakdown: Most Common Types of Chronic Wounds

WoundSource Practice Accelerator's picture
Submitted by WoundSource Pra... on March 22nd, 2019
Keywords: 
Arterial Ulcers, Chronic Wounds, Venous Ulcers, Pressure Injury, Diabetic Foot Ulcer, Practice Accelerator
Chronic Wounds

by the WoundSource Editors

In approaching the management of a chronic wound, the first step in developing a treatment plan that will combat chronicity and promote healthy healing of damaged tissue begins with understanding the different types of wounds.

Blog Category: 
Education, Practice Accelerator, Wound Types

Extremes of Age and Skin Injuries

Ivy Razmus's picture
Submitted by Ivy Razmus on March 19th, 2019
Keywords: 
Pressure Injury, Pressure Injury Prevention, Skin
Age and Pressure Injury

By Ivy Razmus, RN, PhD, CWOCN

The very old and the very young are more alike than you might think when you consider risk for skin injuries. They are alike regarding their limited sensory perception, mobility, and activity. They are also alike in their potential for inadequate nutrition and their skin's supporting structures (muscle, collagen and elastin). These similarities place them at greater risk for pressure injuries.

Blog Category: 
Skin Conditions

Contact Dermatitis and Wound Management

Hy-Tape International's picture
Submitted by Hy-Tape Interna... on March 19th, 2019
Keywords: 
Skin Care, Industry Voices
Contact Dermatitis

by Hy-Tape International, Inc.

Contact dermatitis is a major concern for health care professionals involved in wound management. The condition can have a significant impact on patients' well-being and can lead to pain, increased risk of infection, and delayed wound healing. These issues can significantly affect both the costs of wound care and patients' outcomes. It is critical that health care professionals make reducing the risk of contact dermatitis a top priority by using safe and gentle wound care products and following wound care best practices.

Blog Category: 
Industry Voices, Skin Conditions

Healing Limbs While Coordinating Care: Dual Role for Wound Care Clinicians?

Christine Miller's picture
Submitted by Christine Miller on March 14th, 2019
Keywords: 
Limb Salvage, Patient Education, Patient Management, Patient-Centered
Coordination of Care

By Christine Miller, DPM, DMM, PhD, FACCWS

One of the gratifying aspects of being a wound care physician is the ability to develop such rich relationships with our patients. The frequent and consistent contact with the same provider lays a strong foundation of open communication and trust. I work in an urban safety net hospital’s ambulatory care center, which sees a high volume of high-acuity patients. It is not uncommon for me to see patients with venous leg ulcerations with concomitant uncontrolled hypertension or diabetic foot ulcerations secondary to uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Patient education is a vital part of my clinical encounters, particularly focusing on the systemic nature of wound healing. I always emphasize that while we are treating your wound, it is the full body well-being that is needed for ultimate success.

Blog Category: 
Outcomes

The Right Support Surface Is Only the Beginning

Susan Cleveland's picture
Submitted by Susan Cleveland on March 13th, 2019
Keywords: 
Support Surfaces

By Susan Cleveland, BSN, RN, WCC, CDP, NADONA Board Secretary

So, you’ve selected the support surface that is perfect for the resident. What’s next? Next steps: education, utilization, reassessment, and repeat. So many questions! Remember, as I have said before, nothing here is common sense, only common knowledge. It is your responsibility to make sure the staff left in charge of the direct care of residents has that knowledge. Think basics!

Blog Category: 
Education, Offloading Intervention

Peristomal Skin Complications and Tips for Management

Holly Hovan's picture
Submitted by Holly Hovan on March 5th, 2019
Keywords: 
Skin Care, Holly Hovan, Stoma, Skin
Peristomal Skin Complications

by Holly Hovan MSN, RN-BC, APRN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN-AP

As discussed in a prior blog, stoma location is certainly one of the key factors in successful ostomy management and independence with care at home. However, even with proper stoma siting, peristomal skin complications may occur for a variety of reasons. In this blog I discuss a few of the more common peristomal skin complications and tips for management.

Blog Category: 
Education, Skin Conditions

Chronic Wounds and Biofilms: Frequently Asked Questions

Gregory Schultz's picture
Submitted by Gregory Schultz on March 1st, 2019
Keywords: 
Debridement, Infected Wounds, Biofilm
Biofilm Frequently Asked Questions

By Gregory Schultz, PhD

In my recent WoundSource webinar on the assessment and treatment of chronic wounds and biofilms, I discussed the pathogenesis of chronic wounds and offered a biofilm-based wound care protocol to promote healing.

Blog Category: 
Education

Terms to Know: Managing Skin Complications

WoundSource Practice Accelerator's picture
Submitted by WoundSource Pra... on February 28th, 2019
Keywords: 
Skin Care, Practice Accelerator, Skin

by the WoundSource Editors

Epidermis: the outer layer of the skin, which is the protective layer against the outside elements.

Epithelialization: the growth of the epidermis over a wound during the remodeling stage.

Granulation: condition occurring in a full-thickness wound where the growth of small vessels and connective tissue forms “scaffolding” as the wound rebuilds.

Blog Category: 
Practice Accelerator, Skin Conditions

Preventive Skin Care Strategies and Assessment of the Skin

WoundSource Practice Accelerator's picture
Submitted by WoundSource Pra... on February 28th, 2019
Keywords: 
Assessment, Skin Care

by the WoundSource Editors

There has been extensive research on how to prevent skin care-related skin breakdown, and most research agrees on a few main components. Eliminating skin contact with sweat, urine, and stool reduces the risk of maceration and incontinence-associated dermatitis and thereby helps to prevent or minimize skin breakdown. Proper mattress selection and offloading devices are important for minimizing the impact of weight on bony prominences. Nutritional therapy is also a key component of maintaining skin integrity. This is because this therapy supplies nutrients that the body requires, as well as hydration. Turning, repositioning, and avoiding the impact of shear force when adjusting the patient are important to eliminate mechanical forces that can break down the tissue. Most importantly, having a consistent method to assess skin integrity and using a validated scale such as the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk® (Braden Scale) are the most effective methods of tracking changes and implementing the necessary interventions based on the area or areas of deficiency.

Blog Category: 
Practice Accelerator, Skin Conditions

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