Risk Factors

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

Part 2 in a two-part series looking at the basics of preventing and managing moisture-associated skin damage in the long-term care setting. For Part 1, click here.

By Hy-Tape International

By Samantha Kuplicki MSN, APRN-CNS, AGNCS-BC, CWCN-AP, CWS, RNFA, CFCN

By James McGuire, DPM, PT, LPed, FAPWH

Editor's note:This blog post is part of the WoundSource Trending Topics series, bringing you insight into the latest clinical issues and advancement in wound management, with contributions by the WoundSource Editorial Advisory Board.

by the Wound Source Editors

Chronic non-healing wounds affect millions of patients each year and contribute significantly to their morbidity and mortality. These wounds have a substantial impact because of their economic burden and the significant effect on the reduction in quality of life, as well as the increased risk of death for those patients affected by them.¹ A 2014 study of Medicare data showed that chronic non-healing wounds and associated complications affect nearly 15% or 8.2 million Medicare beneficiaries. The study also estimated the cost to treat these wounds at between $28.1 billion and $31.7 billion annually.² The highest costs were associated with infected or reopened surgical wounds, and outpatient care had the highest site-of-service costs. In addition to being older, most of these patients have obesity and diabetes. Underlying causes often include diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, arterial insufficiency, and pressure ulcers. The list of complications contributing not only to chronicity but also to further deterioration is quite lengthy.

by Susan M. Cleveland, BSN, RN, WCC, CDP, NADONA Board Secretary

by Nancy Munoz, DCN, MHA, RDN, FAND

by the WoundSource Editors

Among the greatest triumphs of modern medicine were the identification and naming of the Penicillium mold by Alexander Fleming in 1928, and its ability to inhibit bacteria growth on culture medium. Penicillin was then developed by the team of Heatley, Chain, and Florey in England during the Second World War.¹ This miracle brought about the ability to cure previously untreatable diseases and devastating infections that had high morbidity and mortality rates. Along with the great efficacy of penicillin was the added benefit of very few side effects. This area of research brought about the era of antibiotic production, which began in the 1950s.

by the WoundSource Editors

by the WoundSource Editors

Given the impact of infection on delayed wound healing, determining the presence of colonization and infection is imperative to achieving healed outcomes.Chronic wounds are always contaminated, and timely implementation of management and treatment interventions is a key component of the plan of care.