Wound Dressings

By the WoundSource Editors Writing up a case report is an important professional activity in not only wound care, but in any other field as well. A case report records the details of the presentation of signs and symptoms, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of a patient case or series of cases. Case reports typically describe an unusual presentation or complication relating to the patient's condition, or a new clinical approach to a common problem. The publication of a case report in a peer-reviewed journal, if that is your intent, is a great addition to your CV, especially if you are new to the profession.

In a recent survey, we asked our WoundSource Editorial Advisory Board members what outdated wound care practices they continue to see in the field. Depending on what health care setting clinicians work in, there are specific guidelines, policies, and procedures that may impact standard of care. Our board members come from a variety of backgrounds, so their answers varied based on their areas of expertise, but there were a few practices that they could all agree should be left in the past. Do you still use any of these?

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC I feel like I am spinning my wheels on this warm sunny day in Ohio. My passion for wound care continues to grow, but I have days like these every once in a while. I always say, "We don't know what we don't know, right?" So I keep chipping away to educate and mentor other health care professionals.

By Paula Erwin-Toth MSN, RN, CWOCN, CNS Now that summer is upon us we will soon be entering the orientation and entry of new residents, fellows and new nursing graduates in acute care. This is a terrific opportunity for you to reach out and engage the interest of these new clinicians in evidence-based wound care practice. Granted, they are overwhelmed with new information and new responsibilities, but prevention and management of wounds is knowledge they can apply to nearly all their patients and across all health care settings.

By Kathy Gallagher, DNP, APRN-FNP, CMC, UMC, BC, WCC, CWS, FACCWS In 2010, Christiana Care Health System, a 1,000 bed Level I trauma center in Wilmington, Delaware, introduced an acute surgical wound service (ASWS) integration plan in with a single dedicated nurse practitioner, trauma surgeon, and administrative leader. Subsequently, trauma patients with complex wounds experienced decreased morbidity and length of stay. Closely aligned with these numbers, their patient days of negative pressure wound therapy fell from 11+ days in 2010 to 8.2 days in 2018, representing one of the lowest in the nation.

Wound chronicity is an ongoing challenge for patients and health care professionals around the globe. An astonishing 4.5 million people in the United States experience lower extremity wound chronicity, while an estimated 1% are affected in the Western population with all types of chronic wounds. The cascade of wound healing does not always follow suit in an orderly fashion of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.

By Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, FACCWS, DAPWCA, CLTC The big debate continues in regards to using wet-to-dry dressings. One thing that is for certain though is that this type of dressing is frowned upon in long-term care facilities per the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) Guidelines for pressure ulcers. However, long-term care facilities are put at risk for citations when using wet-to-dry dressings for any wound type.

By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS The human amniotic membrane has been used in wound care for almost a century. It is now enjoying a resurgence in use in wound care, thanks to new techniques that allow this unique material to be dried and stored for prolonged periods of time.

By: Emily Greenstein, APRN, CNP, CWON, FACCWS Being a wound care professional is often a lot like being a detective. You have to decide what caused the wound, what is contributing to its not healing and how you are going to get it to heal. I have decided to start a series of “cases” that are commonly overlooked or seen in the chronic wound care setting. The cases will focus on real-life scenarios—moisture-associated skin damage versus pressure injury, red leg syndrome versus venous stasis ulcer, how to identify pyoderma, and the importance of a moist wound healing environment. This series will also provide practical strategies for overcoming healing obstacles for slow, non-healing, and challenging wounds.

By the WoundSource Editors Biofilm: this term is frequently used in the wound care space, but biofilm continues to be largely undertreated in wound care. What do the bedside nurse or clinician need to know about biofilm? Should clinicians care less about biofilm on a maintenance or palliative wound versus a wound they are actively trying to heal? Let's address these questions and get to the root of the biofilm in managing complex wound cases.