Recent Posts | page 25
October 21, 2015
Imagine, if you will, the following scene: a wound care clinician is asked to weigh in on a lower extremity ulcer consultation, and upon arrival is told that it’s a pressure ulcer. So she seeks more information about blood flow: Clinician #1: Tell me about the blood flow to the lower extremity. Clinician #2: It […]
October 8, 2015
The truth about moist wound healing, related cost savings, and the risks of keeping wounds dry. When you were a kid, you probably had your share of cuts, scrapes and other childhood wounds that required a good old-fashioned bandage. And somewhere along the way you were most likely told to “… take the bandage off […]
September 24, 2015
Every clinician knows that a vital part of wound care is weekly wound assessment. This, of course, tracks healing progress and provides important information that can help with treatment plans and health goals. But there is more than one measuring technique used to assess wounds, which is why it’s important to not only understand them, […]
December 15, 2014
Proper assessment is essential for differentiating between venous and arterial ulcers. Your patient has a lower extremity wound. You aren’t sure what exactly you are dealing with. You know you need to measure the ankle-brachial index (ABI), but as you wait for results, some of your wound assessment findings offer clues. Characteristics of Venous Ulcers […]
November 17, 2014
In the human body the cartilage is found in joints, rib cage, ear, nose, bronchial tubes and between the inter-vertebral discs. As wound clinicians we most often see it just below the bridge of the nose or on the ear in our patients with pressure injuries. Many clinicians continually question themselves how to stage a […]
November 10, 2014
You may have become desensitized to it, but if your patient has odor in the wound bed, consider it a problem that you need to fix. As healthcare clinicians, in a way, we are lucky. We become desensitized to things we encounter over and over again, they just don’t bother us like the first time […]
October 20, 2014
What exactly is an ABI? ABI stands for Ankle Brachial Index. This is a non-invasive bedside tool that compares the systolic blood pressure of the ankle to that of the arm. It is done to rule out Peripheral Arterial Disease in the lower extremities. The ABI is considered the “bedside” gold standard diagnostic test and […]
June 6, 2014
There has to be a way to get everyone on the same page. You would think that over the last 6-7 years since the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) had released the updated staging guidelines we would have gotten better at this. Not necessarily the case. Lets try to make pressure ulcer staging as […]
March 7, 2013
You are getting ready to trim your diabetic patients toenails. What exactly does that all involve? Well, first you need the proper tools for diabetic toenails. A set of toenail nippers, nail file, and orange stick are typically used. Always follow your facility or healthcare’s settings policy for infection control. Single use disposable equipment is […]
December 13, 2010
An interesting question has been posed of me recently, and when I reflected upon it, I realize now that I've been asked this question thousands of times. The question was "Why did you become a Wound Care Certified Nurse?