Laurie Swezey
RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Laurie Swezey, founder and president of WoundEducators.com, has been a Registered Nurse for more than a quarter century, with most of those years dedicated to wound treatment. Ms. Swezey is a Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse, a Certified Wound Specialist and a fellow of the AmericanCollege of Wound Specialists.
In addition to her work as a Certified Wound Specialist and enterostomal therapist, Laurie is a nurse informaticist and educator. She works collaboratively with leading organizations to improve their operations through innovative technology, information and practice.
Laurie has worked extensively in the home health care industry helping organizations meet the growing demand for wound management by combining the expertise of certified wound specialists with the availability of digital photography and computer technology.
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Activated charcoal has been used in various types of wound care dressings. Although activated charcoal in itself does not enhance wound healing, it can help to minimize the odors associated with wounds. This is important, as wound odor...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
There are many tools that can be used to assess wounds. It is important to be aware of these tools and what they measure. It is also important to become knowledgeable about the tool(s) used in your workplace.
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
As health care providers, we are all familiar with the signs of wound inflammation. However, it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether a wound is inflamed, undergoing the normal and expected inflammatory response to tissue...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
You want to become certified in wound care. That’s a great decision – the field is wide open and wound care consultants are in high demand. Wondering about the certification process and how you can write the exam? Here’s what you...
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...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
There are four main types of debridement: mechanical, autolytic, enzymatic, and surgical. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at each method individually:
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Obesity has become a major problem in our society. According to the CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, more than one-third of adults in the United States are considered obese (CDC, 2015). Obesity is known to...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Total contact casting (TCC) is considered to be the 'gold standard' in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Although TCC is often very successful in healing diabetic foot ulcers, this treatment modality is not used as often as it...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Lower extremity venous insufficiency ulcers represent approximately 80% of the leg ulcers typically seen in wound care facilities. The following statistics help to bring home the seriousness and chronicity of this common health problem...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
A wound that is too moist can be as detrimental to wound healing as a wound that is too dry. When a wound is too moist, the skin surrounding the wound, known as the periwound, can become macerated. Skin that is macerated is vulnerable...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Bariatric patients present a special challenge in terms of skin care and prevention of pressure ulcers. Once damage to the skin occurs, bariatric patients heal more slowly due to decreased vascularity of the skin and reduced perfusion...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Do you understand the difference between acute and chronic wounds? If you answered that acute wounds are wounds that have been present for a shorter duration of time, you are correct--but there are many other differences in acute and...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
There are many benefits to taking an online course to prepare yourself to write a wound care certification exam. The following outlines some of these benefits:
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
You've learned all you can about wound care. Perhaps you've been working in wound care for a while and have decided that you would like to pursue wound care certification to showcase your knowledge and give you a leg up at work (and...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
This article is designed to provide a review of cellulitis, an infection affecting the skin which can be life-threatening if not treated.
em>By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
There is more to wound care diagnostics than swabbing a wound to determine whether infection is present. Advances in science and knowledge in wound care have led to new ways of assessing wound healing.
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Wound irrigation, when performed properly, can enhance wound healing. It is not as simple as pouring normal saline over a wound prior to dressing it – it must be performed properly in order to get the most out of this frequently...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Staying up-to-date with the latest in wound care can be challenging, given that there are new treatments being developed, research being reviewed, updates to guidelines and recommendations being published as well as new products coming...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
As part of a thorough wound assessment, in addition to noting location and measuring size, the entire wound bed should be probed for the presence of tunneling and/or undermining. If you are unsure what tunneling and undermining are and...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Wound care diagnostics includes examination of wounds for the purpose of wound classification. Why does it matter? It matters because treatment varies greatly depending on the type of wound. For example, venous insufficiency ulcers are...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Pressure ulcer risk assessment is crucial to the prevention of pressure ulcers. There are many factors which put certain patients at higher risk of developing these painful injuries that increase health care costs and lead to prolonged...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
The measurement of a wound, and the plotting of its size over time, is the only estimate that can be used to accurately predict wound healing. This includes such variables as wound exudate, the presence of necrotic tissue, slough and...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Skin tears are a common problem among the elderly due to increased skin fragility associated with aging. Due to the increasing prevalence of this problem, and the potential for poor and/or delayed wound healing in the elderly...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Thinking about becoming a certified wound care professional? If you have been researching your options, you may have come away more confused than ever. There are many certification bodies, all with different options and requirements,...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Many health care professionals are becoming certified as wound care providers due to the increased demand that has arisen due to the aging of the population and an increase in other wound risk factors including diabetes and obesity....
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Necrotic tissue that is present in a wound presents a physical impediment to healing. Simply put, wounds cannot heal when necrotic tissue is present. In this article, we'll define...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Radiation is used to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, radiation does not discriminate between cancer cells and healthy cells. Skin cells are particularly vulnerable, and almost everyone who undergoes radiation will experience some...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Lymphedema can be defined as swelling of one or more limbs which may also include a portion of the corresponding trunk. Lymphedema can also affect the breast, head, neck or...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Dressing changes can be painful experiences for clients. Pain is often not addressed or may be addressed inadequately. Pain is a significant issue for many clients and can present a...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Although the standard treatment for infected wounds continues to include antimicrobial therapy, other therapies are gaining in popularity due to the rise in antibiotic resistance. This month's blog will explore some of these...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Diabetic foot ulceration can lead to significant morbidity and mortality and is probably one of the most-feared complications of...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
We've all experienced difficulty in getting dressings to stay on for as long as we need them to, especially when there are many commercial dressings that could (and should) remain in place for...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Skin grafting of surgical wounds is performed for wounds that are difficult to close using traditional closure methods, such as staples or...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Arterial ulcers can cause much pain for patients and consternation for the wound care professionals tasked with managing them. Arterial ulcers can be a catch-22...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Pressure mapping has traditionally been used by physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, orthotists and other...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Compression therapy is the “gold standard” for the treatment of venous ulcers. However, compression therapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment and the...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Tunneling wounds can be difficult to heal and often take several weeks to months to close. The following will discuss tunneling wounds and how...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP, 2007), a support surface is “a specialized device for pressure redistribution designed for management of...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
There are more than 3,000 types of wound dressings available on the market today, and more are being launched every day. Although there are a number...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
The rate of wound closure is affected by systemic and local factors, as well as a number of the wound’s own inherent characteristics. It is important to understand...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Whirlpool therapy, or hydrotherapy, is one of the oldest adjuvant forms of treatment for wounds still in use today. It was originally used in pain management, but later found a use in...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
During our training, we are all taught about the three phases of normal wound healing: inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. This is a relatively well-understood area of wound management, and one that is predictable and...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Ultrasound was successfully used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for years before its potential benefits in wound healing were first investigated. Ultrasound waves, formed when electrical energy is converted to sound waves at...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
When we are caught up in complex treatment protocols or surrounded by paperwork, it is sometimes easy to forget that the one thing that really matters in wound management is achieving wound closure. When a wound has closed properly,...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most dreaded complications of diabetes, and represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that a lower...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Patient care must always be centered holistically, considering the specific problem that the patient is being treated for, as well as all other factors that may affect patient wellbeing. Wound care is no different: in addition to wound...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
The sheer number of dressings available makes choosing the correct dressing for clients a difficult proposition. Clinicians today have a much wider variety of products to choose from, which can lead to confusion and, sometimes, the...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, FACCWS
Our eating habits are ingrained in us from an early age, and are often difficult to change. Eating is not...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, FACCWS
Making decisions in today’s wound care world must take several entities into account. The patient/client and the practitioner must work together to decide on a dressing protocol that meets the needs of both. Additionally, the needs of the...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, FACCWS
Heels are particularly vulnerable to skin breakdown. The posterior heel is only covered by a thin layer of skin and fat, and that makes breakdown a very real risk. When patients lie supine, all of the pressure of their lower legs and feet...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Antimicrobial dressings have enjoyed a surge of popularity in recent years- there are now many dressing products on the market containing antimicrobials. However, just...
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
There are numerous types of dermal lesions that may affect the skin. Dermal lesions may be classified as either primary or secondary lesions:
By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS
Health care professionals encounter burns in their patient populations frequently, and must be able to differentiate between types of burns, as well as know how to treat burn injuries using current...