Lydia Corum's blog

By Lydia Corum, RN, MSN, CWCN

A client walks into the law firm and states that a family member has suffered from unfair treatment and, as a result, acquired a pressure injury while in the hospital. The firm gathers the information, and the lawyer tells the family member at a later appointment what is needed to start the process. The lawyer will most likely give the family member some forms to fill out with a list of paperwork that needs to be gathered.

By Lydia Corum RN MSN CWCN

The times are changing in the world of wound care. There used to be a time when there were no problems with reimbursements, as long as the doctor wrote the order. Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations confuse clinicians and make the world of healing wounds much more difficult. The changes are in the area of denials with not enough information given for choosing dressings, use of negative pressure therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Are all these changes needed? Why are these changes happening? What can hospitals and wound clinics do to make things better?

By Lydia Corum RN MSN CWCN

How many wound care coordinators have walked into a patient's room to check on a wound before the patient is discharged only to find that the same dressing originally ordered for the wound is still in place, or there is even no dressing at all? The patient and the family members are wondering what is happening, and the wound care coordinator needs to explain. This happens to wound care nurse coordinators, wound care nurses, and clinical managers all the time. The common problem for those nurses who love wound care is that many others do not share that love. In this blog, I'll be taking a look at nursing leadership and how this can help bring nurses together to form a wound care team.

By Lydia A. Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

In the times that I have worked with amazing hospitals and doctors, I have learned and gathered information on the differences between two types of necrotizing infections that happen in the world of wound care. Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) and spider bites can present as similar in nature and need immediate intervention.

By Lydia A. Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

Wound infections are discussed in the media and are a major reason for admission into the hospital. With the importance in health care today to decrease costs, I was encouraged to do research into where infections come from and the causes for hospitalization and death among wound patients. In the current data I found there is information showing how the government has increased surveillance related to reportable admission to hospital in relation to infections in wounds by home health and hospice organizations.

By Lydia A. Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

Today's health care changes are a necessity. Unfortunately, both the country's economy and overspending with abuse of the system contributed to this need for change. What are the predictions for the future? How can educated health care professionals prepare for the future and protect themselves? How will these changes affect wound care and wound care nurses? Within this blog, I will try to answer these questions with information gained from life, education, lifelong research, critical thinking, and looking outside of the box.

By Lydia A Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

What is a wound care patient?

A wound care patient is a person with an open area that is not healing. I hear wound care patients referred to as: the pressure ulcer, the hip wounds, the one that has legs that always smell like urine, the amputee that is going to lose the other leg, the non-compliant with the chronic wound, the drug addict. Where in nursing did we lose that perspective of the person behind the disease or illness? These are people with wounds that require our best effort in order to heal. They need our loving care, our education, and our assurance that all will be well.

By Lydia A Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a type of therapy that is oxygen done under greater than atmospheric pressure. Treatments are done according to approval by Medicare/Medicaid rules and regulations. At this time HBOT has been approved for the following:

By Lydia A Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

There is a traveler coming to your hospital who will only be working for 13 weeks, eight weeks or however long the facility needs that nurse. As a nurse working in the hospital, how does working with this temporary staff member make you feel? What does the organization have in store for that nurse?

By Lydia A Meyers RN, MSN, CWCN

Enterocutaneous Fistulae (ECF) are a major healthcare issue affecting patients, their lives and the healthcare system. ECF are defined as abnormal connections from one organ to another. The most serious condition is formation from an internal organ to the skin. According to an article by Willcutts, Scarano, & Eddins in 2005, 75% to 85% of all fistulas occur 7 to 10 days after surgery. ECF often develop as a result of the patient's medical condition, past radiation treatments in area, and malnutrition of the patient. The names of ECF are related to exit and entrance points. According to Baranoski & Ayello, 2012, the mortality rate for patients with ECF ranges from 12% to 25%. The mortality is the result of sepsis, malnutrition, and dehydration. The ECF patient faces several problems including: cost of supplies, control of exudate and quality of life issues for the patient.