Archive for the ‘Infection Prevention’ Category

Hand Hygiene Tips for Providing Wound Care in Challenging Settings

Wednesday, September 16th, 2020

Hand hygiene is nothing new in healthcare. It has become increasingly important throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  

As a wound care nurse, you know hand hygiene is essential in preventing infections when providing patient care, as we discuss in the blog post “The Case of the Dirty Wound Care Clinic.”

If you provide care outside of the traditional clinical settings, such as a hospital or a wound care clinic, you know how difficult it can be to maintain good hand hygiene. Without running water, gloves or sanitizer, the risk of infection or its spread is evident. 

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PPE: How to Reduce Your Chance of Pressure Injuries During COVID-19

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to your safety while caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But healthcare workers also should be aware of PPE guidelines to prevent side effects. For example, pressure injuries can occur from wearing the items meant to keep you protected.

Because of the nature of how the virus spreads, those caring for infected patients are required to wear masks in an effort to reduce risk of acquiring the virus.

Working an entire shift in this environment requires wearing a mask almost continually, which has led to the development of tissue damage from moisture and pressure.

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COVID-19 Pandemic: The Potential Impact on Wound Care

Tuesday, April 7th, 2020

COVID-19 is making quite a stir in our society at large.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and many countries are being affected, some more severely than others. There is no doubt this viral outbreak is serious.

We have enough data to know the elderly and individuals with one or more significant health issues (diabetes, immunosuppression and/or upper respiratory comorbidities) are at the highest risk for serious illness and death.

What do you as wound care clinicians need to think about when managing your patients in hospitals, nursing homes and home care?

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