Adopting a Pressure Ulcer/Injury Prevention Mindset
October 10, 2019
By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, DAPWCA, FACCWS
Worldwide Pressure Ulcer/Injury Prevention & Awareness Day is November 21st. This day is considered pretty much a holiday at my home. I have Stop Pressure Ulcer tee shirts, and I order a cake or STOP sign cookies every year from the bakery in memory of my mother. To some it might sound crazy, but my life was strongly impacted forever in 1996 after my mother passed away in my arms at only 47 years old because of complications of diabetes and what was called at that time "multiple decubitus." The image and smell will never leave my mind. It changed my life forever as a daughter, a caregiver, and later as a wound nurse. I needed more answers to heal my heart. How could my mother acquire such horrible wounds while at the hospital to get better? My mind was twirling nonstop with the 5Ws. Who, what, when, where, why? So, then it began. I wanted to learn everything I could. This ended up being sort of my therapy, which transitioned into my passion and purpose.
Critical Components to Encourage Wound Healing: Basing Treatment on Etiology
May 18, 2021
Wound care and healing require an evidenced-based, interprofessional approach, following standards of care, and treating the whole patient, not just the hole in the patient. Often, wound care clinicians are consulted for recommendations on the treatment of chronic or non-healing wounds, as well as other wound, ostomy, and continence issues. Treating a wound and successfully healing a wound require a holistic approach for the best outcomes.
Legal Perils and Pitfalls of Wound Care – A Case Study: End of Life Issues and Pressure Ulcers
October 3, 2019
By Heidi Cross, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWON
Ms. EB, a frail 82-year-old woman admitted to a long-term care facility, had a complex medical history that included diabetes, extensive heart disease, ischemic strokes with left-sided weakness and dysphagia, dementia, kidney disease, anemia, chronic Clostridium difficile infection, and obesity. Her condition was guarded at best on admission, and she had a feeding tube for nutrition secondary to dysphagia. Despite these challenges, she survived two years at the facility.
Legal Perils and Pitfalls of Wound Care, Part 3: Turning and Positioning
November 29, 2018
by Heidi H. Cross, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWON
Failure to T&P (turn and position) is always part and parcel of a pressure ulcer lawsuit and a key element of a complaint related to pressure ulcers, as illustrated in the opening quotation. T&P documentation is a dominant focus in chart analysis and is usually one of the first things that an attorney and the expert witness look for. If T&P documentation is satisfactory, the defendant is likely to prevail; if not, then the plaintiff may have a pretty rock-solid case. But as I have opined in previous blogs, is there such a thing as perfect documentation? Alas...NO! (Or at least, rarely.)
Legal Perils and Pitfalls of Wound Care, Part 4: Risk Assessments
January 2, 2019
by Heidi H. Cross, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CWON
When looking at medical charts from a legal perspective, one of the areas closely scrutinized is the risk assessment for skin breakdown and pressure ulcer development. Completing a risk assessment is considered a standard of care. Was the patient adequately assessed, and was this done in a timely fashion? Was it repeated at regular intervals, with a change in condition, or on readmission? Do scores seem appropriate for the patient's condition? Is there consistency among health practitioners? Were the results used to institute evidence-based and appropriate prevention and treatment measures and care plans? Or do the results seem to simply languish in the chart? What are the standards of care related to this?
Make This Your Campaign Promise: I Promise to Complete the Braden Scale Nutrition Sub-Scale Accurately!
October 4, 2012
By Mary Ellen Posthauer RDN, CD, LD, FAND
Since we are fast approaching the deadline for the national elections, I decided to join the fray and campaign for accurate completion of the Braden Scale nutrition sub-score. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Section M, Skin Conditions requires pressure ulcer risk assessment. Nursing facilities may use a formal assessment instrument such as the Braden or Norton tool to determine pressure ulcer risk. The most commonly used pressure ulcer assessment tool is the Braden Scale and one of the sub-scales is nutrition. Studies completed by Bergstrom and Braden in skilled nursing facilities found that 80% of pressure ulcers developed in two weeks after admission and 90% within three weeks of admission.
Pressure Injury Risk Assessments: The Importance of Standardization
September 13, 2019
By the WoundSource Editors
The prevalence of pressure injuries among certain high-risk patient populations has made pressure injury risk assessment a standard of care. When utilized on a regular basis, standardized assessment tools, along with consistent documentation, increase accuracy of pressure injury risk assessment, subsequently improving patient outcomes. Conversely, inconsistent and non-standardized assessment and poor documentation can contribute to negative patient outcomes, denial of reimbursement, and possibly wound-related litigation.
Pressure Ulcer Prevention Best Practices
February 12, 2015
By Aletha Tippett, MD
I was recently asked to speak on best practices for prevention of pressure ulcers for a group of state surveyors. This is an excellent subject and here is how I would address it:
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