Classifying and Healing Our Wounds Essay

Wound management is one of the cornerstones for nursing care however, effective wound care extends far beyond the application of the wound itself. Nurses may be required to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate wound care; therefore, order to fill these roles it’s critical to have an understanding of the several different areas of wound care such as, integumentary system, classification of wounds, wound procedures, and documentation. Knowledge in each of these areas will allow nurses to make well informed decisions about wound care, and as a result play an active part in wound healing.

The primary goal of treatment in this case is to cover, protect, and clean the area as quickly as possible. Skin lotions or emollients are used to give hydration to the surrounding tissues and to prevent the wound form spreading or getting worse. Any types of padding or protective substance that decrease the pressure on the area are important. Close attention to prevention, protection, nutrition, and hydration is very important at this point also. With proper care and quick acting, a stage 2 wound can heal very rapidly.

The process of wound assessment requires accurate and appropriate interventions while dealing with the patients. There are some major components which the operator must consider to effectively access an infection, and they require a range of skills and knowledge. These factors are the knowledge of relevant anatomy and physiology, the understanding of the various factors that accelerate wound growth, and the ability to listen and understand the patient’s needs. In wound accessing, the doctor should have an idea concerning the number and location of wounds, the required treatments depending on the type of infection, the type of wound in accordance to various grading given, and the procedures to follow to achieve the treatment

On assessment, the wound was slightly exudates, odour, sloughs and dry skin patches on the surroundings. Sprakes (2010) state that, holistic assessment of patient and the wound are essential in order to facilitate the wound healing process. Ousey and McIntosh (2010) points out that, chronic wounds are exacerbated by a sequence of misdiagnosis, neglect, incompetence or inappropriate treatment strategies. I observed that, M’s wound was with exudates and sloughs; this

A full assessment of the wound should be carried out prior to selection of dressings. Any allergies should also be noted. The wound should be traced, photographed and measured providing data for comparison throughout the treatment. Consent should be gained prior to photographing the wound and the patient should not be identifiable from the photograph (Benbow 2004). All information should be documented in patients’ records, using the wound assessment tool. The pressure sore was identified as grade two

• With these kinds of wounds in particular, early intervention can significantly increase the rate of healing and the likelihood

| |Use of aseptic technique for wound |Reduces the risk of pathogens to the |

The first couple of paragraphs include an explanation of what is considered a complex wound and the current available treatments. It is beneficial that the authors include an explanation of what the problem is so that the reader can have a better understanding of why this issue is of concern. The paragraphs then transition towards the types of treatments available for the problem and a description of why the current treatments are not sufficient for restorative care.

One of the best methods of reducing infection in patients with any type of wound is sterile technique with dressing change. Heavy colonization of infected sites is a risk factor for infections associated with any type of wound but mostly for wounds that penetrate deeper into the skin. Sterile site dressing is advocated to protect the open wound from contamination because it will come in to direct contact with the wound, and sterility is required in order to execute the application of the dressing successfully. The nursing process is an important principle to use when examining, treating, and maintaining any type of wound or applying wound

The inflammation reaction to a skin cut is beneficial. When we have a skin cut or a trauma to the skin. Inflammation is a mechanism of defense; the body will release chemicals like histamine to promote capillary permeability and will increase the number of white blood cells to fight pathogens. This process will lead to healing the wound.

For example, the signs and symptoms of wound infection could be confused with the inflammatory phase, while parts of the wound may be in the destructive phase, with other parts in the proliferative phase. Nevertheless, to recognise that the complex physiological process can be divided into distinct phases from the initial emergency response to injury through a process of repair and regeneration to complete healing helps the nurse in the clinical decision-making process.

Wound cleansing is characterised by the use of fluids to remove loosely adherent debris and necrotic tissue from the wound surface (Towler 2001). Unlike wound irrigation which is performed by a steady flow of a solution across an open wound surface to attain wound hydration, removal of inflamed materials deeper from the wound base and assisting with the visual examination. An irrigating catheter or syringe and solution may be used to flush the ulcer free of debris (Fernandez et al. 2001; Horrocks 2006; Khan and Naqvi 2006). Regardless of its importance, Magson-Roberts (2006) reported that this procedure is done as a ritual with scant literature available to support this process. Initial PU care involves debridement, wound cleansing, dressing application and several more other interventions such as repositioning, nutritional support, use of pressure relieving and lifting equipment. It has to be noted that cleansing or irrigation will have little effect on the organisms within the wound bed and the surrounding

If a wound is not managed well, then risk on infection can occur. A wound needs to be properly cleaned and bandaged. Sometimes depending on the wound, it is necessary to allow air to get to the wound to aid in healing. When wounds reach the dermis, that is where more infection risk occurs. The dermis is deeper under the skin where nerves and tissues are. It is important to sterilize, keep hands clean when changing out bandages, and making sure to change out bandages to keep the wound

This paper is a summary of a workshop held to discuss the affects of aging on chronic wound healing, and discusses the limited research on wound management. The workshop was sponsored by The Association of Specialty Professors, the National Institute on Aging, and the Wound Healing Society. The workshop was attended by leading health care experts in the field of geriatrics, wound management, and skin again. Scientist and Program Staff from national organization were also in attendance. Those national organizations include National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Nursing Research. The purpose of this workshop was to explore the process of wound healing in elderly patients. These processes included the molecular and cellular processes. Therapeutic approaches such as cellular and tissue-engineered remedies, negative pressure wound therapy, electrical stimulation, nutrition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and ultrasound therapy were discussed.

Wounds are classified as open and closed wound on the underlying cause of wound creation and acute and chronic wounds on the basis of physiology of wound healing.