Pressure Injuries Often Result in Serious Punitive Damages
By Nancy J. Brent, MS, JD, RN
February 12, 2020
Pressure injuries should be avoided at all costs. The costs of pressure injuries are numerous, but one area of major concern is when their existence results in a lawsuit. These suits typically allege the pressure injury was the result of poor nursing and overall care of the patient and/or resulted in a patient’s death. Jacqueline […]
Pressure Injuries and Medical Device Dilemmas
By Keisha Smith, MA, CWCMS
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 […]
Pressure Injury Case Shines Spotlight on Wound Care Education
By Keisha Smith, MA, CWCMS
March 10, 2017
Trained wound care clinicians truly make a difference in the lives of their patients. This caregiver knows first-hand, and wanted to share her story. Recently, a 45-year-old caregiver by the name of Annie* contacted WCEI for help. She was desperate and in search of answers. Her personal account serves as a sobering reminder of why […]
Wound Care Myths: 5 More Debunked
By Keisha Smith, MA, CWCMS
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 […]
Pressure Injuries with Cartilage? Stage Away
By Keisha Smith, MA, CWCMS
September 14, 2016
When it comes to wound care, staging pressure injuries with visible or palpable cartilage doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s what to do. If you’ve ever treated wounds around the ear or in the area just below the bridge of the nose, you know how very little subcutaneous tissue there is. As a result, […]
Pressure Injury (Ulcer) Staging: More Real-World Answers
By Keisha Smith, MA, CWCMS
April 15, 2016
More real-world wound care questions and answers relating to pressure injury staging, including slough, debridement and skin breakdown. Can’t get enough of pressure injury staging? Neither can we. That’s why we’re excited to present even more questions and answers about this topic, based on what wound clinicians experience out in the field (versus what we […]