In addition to noting the characteristics of the wound itself, clinicians should also examine the periwound and the surrounding skin, comparing this tissue to the skin outside the affected area, as well as comparing the opposite (contralateral) side where possible. Structure and Quality When assessing the periwound and surrounding skin, the following should be noted:…
Prior to assessing a wound, it may be necessary to irrigate and/or debride the wound so that the actual size of the wound can be determined, as well as the wound characteristics. Ideally, the same person should assess the wound each time, with the patient positioned in the same manner, to maximize the reliability of…
Wounds often cause pain, and untreated may may lead to decreased adherence with wound care. For this reason, it is important to assess patients for the presence of pain and ask what the patient is doing to relieve pain. If pain is inadequately treated, the wound care clinician should intervene to relieve pain to the…
Diagnostic tests can be an important part of wound assessment, providing valuable information about the patient’s health status as well as the patient’s potential for healing. Although you as a practitioner may not order all of these tests, tests are often available as part of the patient file or may be requested from the patient’s…
Obviously, when you are assessing a patient for the first time it is important to ask about their current wound and the circumstances behind it. Equally important is to ask about their history of previous wounds in terms of what treatments were used, how long it took to heal the wound and whether there were…
Wound care practitioners are no doubt aware that the incidence of MRSA infected wounds in the community is increasing, resulting in new challenges in wound management. A study that appeared in the Journal of Wound Care (February, 2014) describes a new approach to the treatment of wounds infected with MRSA using a dressing derived from…
Creating a wound care plan for you and your patient can help you to set goals and measure the progress of the wound care you provide. It can also help you to decide when you change your treatment plan if the goals you have set are not being achieved. Of course, a wound care plan…
Although many of us intuitively know that serial debridement works (we’ve seen the results), as healthcare professionals we must base our practice on evidence-based knowledge. I went searching for the evidence to support this practice and was surprised that I could not find reams of studies supporting serial debridement. If we know it works and…
Do you remember what you were taught about wound care in nursing school? Many of you may vaguely recall a lecture about the skin as an organ system, the layers of the skin and the function in regulating temperature and protecting us from infection. As far as wound care itself, I remember learning about clean…
Ulceration of the lower limb affects 1% of the adult population and 3.6% of people older than 65 years. Leg ulcers are debilitating and painful and greatly reduce patients’ quality of life. Ulcer healing has been shown to restore quality of life. Use the resources below to learn more about lower extremity wounds. Please note;…
