As Wound Care Certified professionals, one of our responsibilities is to educate our patients and peers as well as staying informed. In a series of upcoming blog posts, Wound Care Resources Series, we will be sharing information about available resources to our Wound Care Certified and Health Care provider community.

Today we will be sharing information about a Wound Photo CD Resource that is available through WoundCentral.com. This CD is filled with various images of wounds and skin conditions for use in educational and training programs. On this CD you will find images of pressure ulcers, lesions, venous and arterial wounds, diabetic wounds and close up pictures of tissue types. This CD is a great for adding visual reinforcement to you educational activities.

The Wound Photo CD has over 150 photographic images in high quality JPEG Format. All images can be downloaded into other programs or printed. This is perfect for Powerpoint Presentations.

Image Categories include:

• Skin Lesions
• Lower Extremity Wounds
• Tissue Types
• Surgical Wounds
• Tissue Types
• Other Wounds
• Miscellaneous

You can find more information about this Wound Photo CD or purchase this resource at WoundCentral.com

For more information about becoming Wound Care Certified and our Skin and Wound Management Course, please visit http://www.wcei.net/course_info

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Ever wonder why so few health care professionals realize that PT’s can play an integral part in caring for patients with wounds? This session will explore the role of physical therapy in wound care and discuss the importance of Physical Therapy as part of the interdisciplinary team.

Don’t miss out on this session. Check out Online Registration for our upcoming Wild on Wounds National Conference.

For more information on becoming Wound Care Certified and our Skin and Wound Management Course, please check out our Course Information Page

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Glendale Wisconsin- August 2, 2010, The National Alliance of Wound Care® (NAWC) today announced that NAWC board member Ottamissiah (Missy) Moore, LPN, CLNI, WCC, GC, CHPLN will be admitted to the 2010 class of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Founders Leadership Institute. “This invitation is a huge achievement for Missy and speaks highly of her work and dedication to nursing. All of us from the National Alliance of Wound Care congratulate Missy on receiving this prestigious honor, said Debbie Hecker, RN, MBA, WCC, Executive Director. The Institute will be held on Friday, August 6, 2010 in conjunction with the 8th annual NBNA Institute and Conference in San Diego, CA August 3-8, 2010.
The Institute includes an influential group of speakers who will discuss professional and personal nursing experiences. Each attendee will be teamed up with a mentor to help guide them through the day long journey. The Institute is designed to provide the tools, resources and insight to help its invited attendees achieve their goal as professional level leaders.
About NBNA
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is a non-profit organization which represents 150,000 African American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, nursing students and retired nurses from the USA, Eastern Caribbean and Africa, with 79 chartered chapters in 34 states. The NBNA was organized in 1971 under the leadership of Dr. Lauranne Sams, former Dean and Professor of Nursing at the Tuskegee University School of Nursing, Tuskegee, Alabama. For more information about the NBNA, visit their website at www.nbna.org.
About NAWC
The NAWC is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the advancement and promotion of excellence in wound care through the certification of wound care practitioners. NAWC is the largest professional wound care credentialing and membership organization in the United States. The NAWC is among an elite group of more than 90 credentialing organizations that have received and maintained National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation. For more information about the WCC, Wound Care Certified certification, visit the website at www.nawccb.org.
Contact Information:
Fred Berg, CWCMS
Director of Marketing and Business Development
National Alliance of Wound Care
877-922-6292, ext 706
Fax: 1-800-352-8339
fberg@nawccb.org

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Join us in welcoming comedian Mac King as he brings his comedy and magic into the world of Wound Care.

Mac King was recently named “Magician of the Year” by the Magic Castle in Hollywood. He has broken a Guinness World Record, and just appeared on his seventh TV special for NBC. He was also voted the sixth best show in all of Las Vegas, and his book from Random House is now in its fifth printing!

For more information about the Wild On Wounds National Conference, please visit http://www.wcei.net/wow-conference.

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Rex the Robotic Exoskeleton may sound like something out of the future, but I assure you the future has arrived. Check out the video below. From a wound care clinician’s perspective, I immediately was intrigued by what I saw in terms of what the future may hold for pressure relief, mobility management and treatment for patients that suffer from chronic pressure ulcers and wounds.

Some of the immediate benefits that came to mind include but are not limited to:

• Pressure Relief to the sacral and ischial areas
• Improved circulation through mobility
• Decreased atrophy
• Improved Dignity

So what are your thoughts on this type of technology and what it may mean to the treatment of patients with wounds? I know costs would be a concern, but we should consider the costs of long term wound care treatments and how technology advancements like the Rex Robotic Exoskeleton would mean. It appears that the quality of life for the young man in the video was considerably enhanced. What say you?

For more information about the Wound Care Education Institute or to become Wound Care Certified, please visit http://www.wcei.net

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The Wild on Wounds National Convention is coming up  September 23-25, 2010 in Las Vegas. Continuing in our session highlights, Basic Wound Care Applications is a session that will be presented by Nancy Morgan RN, BSN, MBA, WOCN, CWCN, WCC, CWCMS and Co-Founder of WCEI.

Learn to “Dress for Success” with the BASIC but comprehensive review of topical wound management products. This session will focus on the basic dressing categories and review what, why, when and how to apply these products. The course is ‘hands on’ with free product samples and live video demonstrations and is designed for the beginning wound care practitioner or for those interested in learning about wound care.

Check out Wild On Wounds National Convention for more information and accommodations.

For more information about becoming Wound Care Certified, please check our information about our Skin and Wound Management Course

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Advances in technology are contributing to delivery of care in remote locations. Technology gives the ability for experienced clinicians to treat patients remotely and communicate with wound care certified professionals. Until recently, immobile patients and those with chronic wounds relied heavily upon transport services or family for access to on-going treatments, which often accounted for delayed diagnosis, prolonged hospital visits, and unnecessarily high treatment costs. Now, clinicians can be equipped with smart mobile devices with digital photography, video capability and other medical devices provides immobile patients access to expert specialists for real-time diagnosis and treatment.

Is this the future of medicine and wound care? Can technology help cut costs if used in this manner or is it more of a concierge service? Recently there was a Press Release about the Wound Technology Network Teaming up with AT&T to Facilitate Treatment of Chronically Wounded Patients in Their Homes.

Having access to Wound Care Certified professionals in real time would have its advantages. George Pollack, Chief Technology Officer at Wound Technology Network states “Not only are our specialists able to deliver on-site quality care in real-time, they are able to aid in significantly minimizing the healing time of patients and the overall cost of their treatment.” The saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ could lend validity to that statement. Video and real time collaboration could really make a difference in the patients who can’t access ongoing care at traditional point of service locations like outpatient clinics, offices or hospitals.

As technology advances, so do the challenges for those that have not embraced those capabilities. Many of us already use computers and digital cameras or video cameras. Utilizing them as extensions to our medical or wound care practices should be as natural as having an inservice on a new IV pole or wound care dressing. Some of the technology is user friendly and some may take some time to become familiar until they become extensions of our care delivery. We all had to learn to use a stethoscope, EKG machine or Negative Pressure Wound Therapy device early in our careers. Now is the time to embrace using EMRs, Computers, cameras and other devices that help communicate between health care professionals.

Video Conferencing services like Skype.com or Oovoo.com are making communication between people very attractive. Health care workers that treat patients remotely could take advantage of services like these to communicate remotely with patients who have hardships traveling to see their doctors.

So, how are you using technology in your practices? The Wound Care Education Institute would like to know your thoughts on how technology, social media and other services will be utilized or are already being used. Please leave your comments.

For more information on becoming Wound Care Certified, please visit WCEI’s Registration Page

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Unfortunately, not everyone is up to date on the standards of care. Below is a video in which WCEI’s co-founder Donna Sardina RN discusses Standards of Care and an unfortunate case of malpractice and manslaughter in which a host of care givers were arrested, charged and found guilty for negligence.

As Wound Care Certified Nurses, Doctors and Therapists, it is up to us to deliver the Standard of Care to all of our patients. If you are interested in learning today’s Standards of Care regarding Wound Care and would like more information on Wound Care Certification, visit http://www.wcei.net.

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For more information about becoming wound care certified, check out http://www.wcei.net

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Some patients show hesitation in initiating HBOT because the chamber can appear intimidating. Typically, there is a fear of claustrophobia. Most overcome that fear after their first or second treatment and some may be prescribed an anti-anxiety medication to help them during their treatment.

Since most HBOT treatments last for approximately 2 hours, an entertaining distraction like a television that plays outside the chamber with a DVD player may help the patient endure the treatment for that length of time. Some patients ask that a music CD be played inside the DVD player instead of a movie or television. Lastly, some just go to sleep.

Hyperbaric Oxygen:
* Uses pure oxygen to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal.

* Encompasses 100% oxygen under two to three times greater pressure than atmospheric pressure.

* This increased pressure (up to three atmospheres) causes a 10- to 15- fold increase in
plasma oxygen concentration with a resultant increase in tissue oxygenation.

* Cannot be duplicated with topical O2 treatment.

* Is extremely safe and effective when administered by qualified professionals.

For more information about Hyperbaric Oxygen check out The Center for Wound Healing and take a look below for an up and close view of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber.

For more information about becoming Wound Care Certified, log on to http://www.wcei.net

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