September 15, 2017
What does it take to get WCC® recertified? A little preparation goes a long way – here’s what you need to know. Earning your Wound Care Certified® (WCC®) credential is one of the best feelings in the world. Once the exam is behind you (what a relief!), you can take all that new knowledge […]
September 8, 2017
Obesity presents challenges to wound healing, but with knowledge and appropriate care interventions, we can provide optimal conditions to support the best possible outcome for every patient, no matter what size. The US obesity epidemic reached a new all-time high in 2016, according to newly released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.1 Every single […]
August 11, 2017
Patients often sue for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the medical care rendered, but rather for the human care that is perceived as lacking. The last few weeks were very difficult for my family and friends in the medical sense. I had one family member in an intensive care unit […]
July 14, 2017
Nutrition is frequently conjoined to wound care lawsuits because patients often lose weight, so it is important to thoroughly document nutrition interventions and education. Most pressure injury lawsuits begin as just that—a lawsuit initiated because of an acquired pressure injury. Usually the wound in question never healed to closure, became infected, led to an amputation, […]
June 30, 2017
Are your wound cleansing practices up-to-date? Find out with these top tips for cleaning wounds properly and choosing the right cleansers.
June 16, 2017
Medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) are a standard part of wound care, but preventative practices can make a big difference. One of the first things clinicians learn about treating pressure injuries is to find the cause of the pressure and simply remove it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But what do you do when the cause […]
June 9, 2017
Improvement is always possible. Make sure your wound care program is a safe place for staff to offer ideas for improving care.
May 26, 2017
Clinicians can help relieve patient pain and discomfort caused by shingles with these treatment options. Did you know that one in three people in the United States is affected by shingles? This common and very painful skin condition also happens to be made worse by stress – like hospitalization and other chronic illnesses. As clinicians, […]
May 18, 2017
How do you spot an unhealthy wound edge? Learn more about the causes, prevention and treatment of epibole. When it comes to treating epibole, it’s all about knowing what a healthy wound edge looks like – and being able to spot signs of trouble. This basic overview includes epibole causes, prevention and treatment. We’ll have […]
May 12, 2017
Lawsuits often are settled out of court because the medical record documentation is not defensible. Incomplete, illogical, and inconsistent records are far too common, so it is important to avoid the common pitfalls. After reviewing hundreds of medical charts involved in litigation, I noticed many of the same problems occurring in the wound care documentation […]