Surgical site infections are a common complication of surgery, occurring in around 2–5% of all surgical procedures, and extending a patient’s length of stay by an average of 9.7 days. Including readmissions, this accounts for close to 1 million additional inpatient-days nationally, and a staggering $1.6 billion in excess costs. Wound infection is clearly a…
An accurate wound assessment and diagnosis, as described in previous blog posts, is vital for understanding the origin and extent of the wound pain. Once the pain has been fully investigated, pain management strategies can be put into place. Underlying Cause = Underlying Source many cases, the underlying cause of the wound is also the…
Wound pain can be classified in two ways; according to the pattern of occurrence or according to the origin. Both classifications are necessary to completely characterize the pain caused by an individual wound. The classification of pain by occurrence was formalized by Krasner, who devised the following three categories: Noncyclic acute wound pain, Cyclic acute…
A wealth of academic research has been devoted to the assessment, diagnosis and management of wound pain. A review of the resulting literature reveals the full scale of the problem, indicating that the vast majority of patients with chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers and venous leg ulcers suffer from pain at the wound site…
Wound dressings are sometimes described as passive, active, or interactive. While passive wound dressings simply serve a protective function, active dressings actually promote healing through the creation of a moist wound environment. Interactive wound dressings, on the other hand, not only create a moist wound environment but also interact with the wound bed components to…
Gauze has been used as a wound dressing for centuries, and continues to be the most readily available wound dressing in use today. A wide variety of gauze dressings are available, with choices to be made between sterile and non-sterile types, gauzes with and without an adhesive border, and woven and non-woven gauze dressings. Woven…
Hydrogels are one of the most versatile dressings on the market. Consisting of 80% to 99% water or glycerin, hydrogels absorb minimal amounts of fluid but are able to donate moisture to dry wounds. Hydrogels consist of three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers and are available in two forms: amorphous and fixed. Amorphous hydrogels offer gentle…
Arterial ulcers are almost always located in the lower extremities; because of the increased distance blood must travel to reach those areas. Arterial insufficiency ulcers are commonly located on the toes, either dorsally or distally. Trauma is a leading precipitating factor in arterial- ulcer development, so potential causes of trauma should be assessed for ulcers…
Venous ulcers can be debilitating, painful, and challenging to treat for healthcare professionals. It is reported that between 10 and 35% of the population has some form of venous disease and that 80 to 95% of leg ulcers are a result of chronic venous disease (Kline & Sieggreen, 2004). What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency? Chronic…
Old habits die hard. Sometimes we do things a certain way simply because it is the way it has always been done. This is true even in medicine. We often get stuck in a rut of practicing a certain way through habit, and for no other reason. Common Wound Care Practice Across the Decades Wound…
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