Wound Care 101

Angiogenesis: The process of new blood vessel formation. This process is required for wound healing and allows for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues.

Cellular and tissue-based therapies: Advanced therapies that may use cells to induce immunomodulation in the wound bed and facilitate healing by resolving inflammation. Such modalities may include stem cells, scaffolds, skin substitutes, and epidermal substitutes, among others.

Edematous: A term to describe wounds that are affected with edema or are abnormally swollen.

Abscess: Inflamed tissue surrounding a localized gathering of pus, often caused by infection.

Antimicrobial resistance: The process that occurs when bacteria, fungi, and parasites (microorganisms) change over time and no longer respond to antimicrobial medications. This resistance makes it more difficult to treat infections and increases the risk of spreading diseases that result in severe illness and death.

Antimicrobial stewardship: Collective measures that are taken to slow the evolution of multidrug-resistant organisms.

Anoxia: A condition marked by the absence of oxygen reaching the tissues. It differs from hypoxia, in which there is a decrease in the oxygen levels to tissue.

Biocide tolerance: Demonstrating a tolerance to substances that destroy living things, such as bacteria. The initial stage in the life of biofilm can become biocide tolerant within 12 hours.

Calcium alginate: A water-insoluble, gelatinous substance that is highly absorbent. Dressings with calcium alginate can help to maintain a moist healing environment.

By Holly Hovan MSN, APRN, GERO-BC, CWOCN-AP

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.

As health care professionals monitor the wound drainage of a patient, it is critical to be able to recognize the different types of wound drainage. Open wounds and incision wounds may both present varying types of exudate, some of which are perfectly healthy and others that can signal an infection or slow healing. Identifying wounds that need a change in care can speed the healing process. Here are the four main types of wound drainage health care professionals need to know:

By Holly M. Hovan, MSN, GERO-BC, APRN, CWOCN-AP

Wound assessment is one of the initial steps in determining the plan of care, changes in treatment, and the choice of key players in wound management. However, wound assessment needs to be accurately understood and documented by frontline staff to paint a true picture of what is happening with the wound.

By Diane L. Krasner, PhD, RN, FAAN

Scope of Practice and Standards of Practice guide nurses and other members of the interprofessional wound care team in caring for patients with wounds. Documentation in the medical record is a key aspect of the standard of practice and serves to record the care delivered to the patient or resident. Your documentation should follow your facility guideline for documentation. Accurate documentation helps to improve patient safety, outcomes, and quality of care.

This WoundSource Trending Topic blog considers general wound documentation dos and don'ts and presents 10 tips for success. Good, better, and best documentation examples are included for each tip.

By the WoundSource Editors

Maceration occurs when skin has been exposed to moisture for too long. A telltale sign of maceration is skin that looks soggy, feels soft, or appears whiter than usual. There may be a white ring around the wound in wounds that are too moist or have exposure to too much drainage.

By Lauren Lazarevski RN, BSN, CWOCN

Calling the COVID-19 pandemic an "unprecedented time" is an understatement. In this time of uncertainty, predicting what to expect can provide some comfort via preparation for the future. We can presume several implications for wound care professionals, based on the clinical course and community response to our evolving situation. Wound care health professionals should be prepared for some unique circumstances on the other side of the curve.

Burns occur when the skin comes into contact with a heat source or caustic substance, commonly fire or flames, boiling liquid, hot objects, electrical current, or chemical agents. Different mechanisms of injury that can cause a burn include scalding, fire, chemical exposure, electrical exposure, and radiation. The extent of injuries that can occur from a burn is highly variable, and morbidity and mortality tend to increase as the surface area of the burn increases. Proper classification of burns is essential in guiding the initial management of the burn wound and achieving optimal outcomes.