March 3, 2017
Plaintiffs often express shock and disbelief after eschar is removed, which often leaves a wound larger than the original size of the eschar. Wound photo: “Stage 4 decubitus displaying the Gluteus medius muscle attached to the crest of the ilium” by Bobjgalindo is licensed under CC BY 2.0 “We were in shock and couldn’t believe our […]
February 10, 2017
What should wound care professionals do when a physician orders wet-to-dry dressings? Be prepared and know the facts. Those of us in wound care know that wet-to-dry dressings are considered substandard care. Some physicians, however, commonly order wet-to-dry dressings for patients, often leaving clinicians in a tricky situation. Do you feel conflicted as to how […]
February 3, 2017
The battle between optimal medical care and patient rights is one to fight with empathy and finesse to keep it out of the courtroom. I recently reviewed a lawsuit filed by the family of a patient* with a spinal cord injury. The patient was involved in a car accident and sustained multiple traumatic injuries. The […]
January 27, 2017
Drainage bulbs can be frustrating for patients and caregivers. But they don’t have to be, thanks to an innovative R.N., her mother and a sewing machine. As a wound care professional, you’ve probably had at least some experience with patients who need drains as part of the post-procedure healing process. But what you might not […]
January 13, 2017
How can you tell if a wound is really infected? Learn how to spot the signs of infection and be a skilled wound investigator. Are you ready, wound detectives, to tackle a new case? This time, we’re learning how to spot the signs of infection. Remember, the wound will tell us what we need to […]
December 7, 2016
Determining a patient’s ABI is a vital part of wound care, but unfortunately this step is often avoided … or even omitted. Here’s why this happens, and how you can change it. Have you ever faced a seemingly daunting task, and so you do everything in your power to avoid it? Like renewing a driver’s […]
November 25, 2016
Whether it involves heel protectors, anti-embolism stockings, or letting wounds “breathe,” there are still plenty of wound-care myths circulating out there. Ready for the truth? You can handle it. Do you use wet-to-dry dressings in order to save money? Have you administered oral antibiotics to treat infected wounds? And do you follow physicians’ orders for […]
October 28, 2016
Beer, honey and grease? The history of wound care includes all three, and much more. Go ahead … amaze your friends and colleagues with these wound care fun facts. We’ve come a long way in wound care, especially over the past 100 years or so. But wound care techniques are as old as humankind, with […]
October 21, 2016
Even the best wound care detectives are challenged by this sneaky culprit that delays healing. Here’s how to identify biofilm bacteria and solve the case. Ready for some serious detective work? In this wound-care case, we will try to find and invade the elusive biofilm bacterial hide-out. So the questions are: where are those microbes […]
October 7, 2016
Inaccurate and incomplete intake and output (I&O) records pose a problem in litigation, as well as a risk to the patient who requires monitoring of fluid balance for medical reasons. “Would you agree that the nurses did not know how to do basic arithmetic?” Of course nurses know how to add and subtract, yet I […]