The True Value of Wound Care Certification

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As wound management comes out of the shadows of other therapy areas and begins to find its true place at the heart of medical practice, so the reputation associated with a higher qualification in wound care rises. Increasing numbers of wound care specialists across all levels of qualification are pursuing further education in wound care…

Epidemiology and Etiology of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Epidemiology and Etiology of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

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Diabetic foot problems, including ulcerations, infections, and gangrene, are the most common grounds for hospitalization among diabetic patients. In particular, foot ulceration affects between 15 and 25 percent of patients with diabetes mellitus during their lifetime. 1Diabetic foot ulcers are notoriously difficult to heal, and may take weeks or months to close, even if treated promptly…

Wound Certification for Physical Therapists

Physical Therapists: Why Wound Certification is Right for You As a physical therapist, you may be wondering what wound certification has to do with you and your professional life. In fact, there are hundreds of physical therapists who have become specialists in wound management. Why? There are many reasons, such as: Physical therapists see many…

Wound Care Certification for Nurses

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Nurses: Why Wound Certification is Right for You The career possibilities for practicing nurses have never been greater or more exciting.  The potential to study and specialize in your own area of interest allows you to develop your skills in that area, improve your job satisfaction, and shape your own career. The continuing increase in…

Fistulas

A fistula is an abnormal opening between two epithelial surfaces,1-3 usually involving a communication tract from one body cavity or hollow organ to another body cavity or hollow organ. For example, a gastrointestinal fistula joints the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract to another organ, while an enterocutaneous fistula involves a communication between the lumen of the…

Electrical Stimulation in Wound Healing

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If wound healing is not successfully achieved using a conservative approach, through sterile dressings or topical antibiotics, for example, a surgical strategy is often the next course of action. However, a less invasive approach to wound healing, and one which is gathering support from both clinicians and researchers, is electrical stimulation.1–3 In this technique, one electrode…

Prevent Scarring – Scarring Reduction

Excessive scar formation results from an abnormal physiologic response to an injury deep in the dermis, including burn injury, laceration, abrasion, or surgery (Figure 1).1–3 Elevated fibrous scars that extend beyond the borders of the original wound and usually occur after excision are known as keloids, while hypertrophic scars are maintained within the initial site…

Vascular Evaluation – Venous Insufficiency
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Vascular Evaluation – Venous Insufficiency

In our last article, we briefly looked at some of the techniques most commonly used in clinical practice to assess arterial insufficiency. This week, we turn our attention to venous insufficiency. Many of the techniques used are the same or similar but offer a different diagnosis and, importantly, mandate a different wound management approach. Ankle-Brachial…

Vascular Evaluation – Arterial Insufficiency
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Vascular Evaluation – Arterial Insufficiency

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Many wounds seen by wound care specialists can be ascribed a vascular etiology, including arterial, venous, and diabetic wounds. In order to successfully manage wounds of this type, the underlying vascular dysfunction must first be addressed. A number of tests and measures are available for detecting arterial insufficiency, the simplest of which is an assessment…