Clinician Resources: Opioid-Prescribing, Diabetes, Pressure Injuries

September 15, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

Here are a variety of resources you might want to explore.

Considering opioid-prescribing practices

Healthcare providers’ prescribing patterns for opioids vary considerably by state, according to a report in Vital Signs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here are some facts from the report:

• Each day, 46 people die from an overdose of prescription painkillers in the United States.*
• Healthcare providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012, enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills.
• Ten of the highest prescribing states for painkillers are in the South. (more…)

Best of the best, the sequel

September 15, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, CWCMS, DWC, OMS

Welcome to our second annual “Best of the Best” issue of Wound Care Advisor, the official journal of the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (NAWCO). This may be the first time you have held Wound Care Advisor in your hands because normally we come to you via the Internet. Using a digital format for this peer-reviewed journal allows us to bring you practical information that you can access anytime, anywhere and gives you the ability to access videos and other links to valuable resources for you and your patients. (more…)

Device–related pressure ulcers: Avoidable or not?

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By: Donna Sardina, RN, MHA, WCC, CWCMS, DWC, OMS

A medical device–related pressure ulcer (MDRPU) is defined as a localized injury to the skin or underlying tissue resulting from sustained pressure caused by a medical device, such as a brace; splint; cast; respiratory mask or tubing; tracheostomy tube, collar, or strap; feeding tube; or a negative-pressure wound therapy device. The golden rule of pressure ulcer treatment is to identify the cause of pressure and remove it. Unfortunately, many of the medical devices are needed to sustain the patient’s life, so they can’t be removed. (more…)

Clinical Notes: Aspirin, Skin Infections, NPWT surgical incisions

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

Aspirin inhibits wound healing

A study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine describes how aspirin inhibits wound healing and paves the way for the development of new drugs to promote healing.

The authors of “12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic (12-HHT) acid promotes epidermal wound healing by accelerating keratinocyte migration via the BLT2 receptor” report that aspirin reduced 12-HHT production, which resulted in delayed wound closure in mice. However, a synthetic leukotriene B4 receptor 2 (BLT2) agonist increased the speed of wound closure in cultured cells and in diabetic mice. (more…)

Creating an effective care plan

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Jeri Lundgren, BSN, RN, PHN, CWS, CWCN

The development of a care plan related to skin integrity can be challenging for any clinician. It takes a strong understanding of skin integrity risk factors and knowledge of how to modify, stabilize, and eliminate those risk factors. This article provides tips for the care-planning process. (more…)

Education vital for successful wound management in the home

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Judy Bearden, MSN/ED, RN

Changes in healthcare policy and reimbursement are pushing treatment from the hospital to the community. This shift is likely to result in a higher number of complex wounds being treated in the home, which can create stress for patients and families. Education plays a key role in reducing this stress. This article focuses on education for family members or friends who are caregivers for the patient. (more…)

Using maggots in wound care: Part 1

July 21, 2014June 20, 2024 Wound Care Advisor

By: Ronald A. Sherman, MD; Sharon Mendez, RN, CWS; and Catherine McMillan, BA

Maggot therapy is the controlled, therapeutic application of maggots to a wound. Simple to use, it provides rapid, precise, safe, and powerful debridement. Many wound care professionals don’t provide maggot therapy (also called wound myiasis) because they lack training. But having maggot therapy technology available for patients adds to your capabilities as a wound care provider. (more…)

What you need to know about transparent film dressings

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Nancy Morgan, RN, BSN, MBA, WOC, WCC, DWC, OMS

Each issue, Apple Bites brings you a tool you can apply in your daily practice.

Transparent film dressings are thin sheets of transparent polyurethane (polymer) coated with an adhesive. These dressings are available in a variety of sizes and shapes. (more…)

Creating effective education programs on a shoestring budget

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Jennifer Oakley, BS, RN, WCC, DWC, OMS

It’s time again for annual staff education, and you, the certified wound clinician, need to teach the staff at your organization. You dream of staff entering a state-of-the-art classroom with computers at each station, mannequins, wound anatomy models, and enough products for each student to do hands-on demonstrations. But when you open your eyes, you’re sitting in a room with ordinary tables and chairs, your laptop, a screen, a brain full of knowledge, and a very tight budget. (more…)

Confronting conflict with higher-ups

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Pam Bowers, RN, and Liz Ferron, MSW, LICSW

Conflict in the workplace is a fact of life, and dealing with it is never easy. Sometimes it seems easier to ignore it and hope it will take care of itself. But in healthcare organizations, that’s not a good strategy. Unresolved conflict almost always leads to poor communications, avoidance behavior, and poor working relationships—which can easily affect patient safety and quality of care. (more…)

How to love and care for yourself unconditionally

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Yolanda G. Smith, MSN, RN, CCRN

Are you able to relax, have fun, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life? Or do you:

have trouble falling or staying asleep?
smoke, drink, or eat to reduce tension?
have headaches, back pain, or stomach problems?
get irritated or upset over insignificant things?
have too much to do and too little time to do it?

(more…)

You want to touch me where?

July 21, 2014February 25, 2020 Wound Care Advisor

By Debra Clair, PhD, APRN, WOCN, WCC, DWC

Providing wound care requires a great deal of knowledge and skill. To become a wound care nurse entails taking classes, gaining and maintaining certifications, and acquiring on-the-job experience. But despite your education, knowledge, skills, and certifications, you may encounter problems when wound care requires you to touch the patient in a sensitive or embarrassing area. Touching the patient in these areas is called intimate touch. (more…)

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