A new reticulated open-cell foam dressing with through holes (ROCF-CC) has been introduced to assist with wound cleansing by removing thick wound exudate and infectious materials during neg- ative pressure wound therapy with instillation. Due to the limited published evidence supporting use of ROCF-CC dressings with negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d), clinicians have been relying on practical application experience to gain pro ciency with the dressing and NPWTi-d. To help provide general guidelines for safe and e cient use of ROCF-CC dressings with NPWTi-d, a multidisciplinary expert panel of clinicians was convened from September 28 to 29, 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAddition of an instilled topical wound solution to negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is designed to facilitate regular wound cleansing to help improve outcomes of some complex wounds, but the addition of instillation to NPWT adds a level of complexity to the wound care process. The paucity of knowledge and experience with instillation may affect optimal use of this treatment modality. In an effort to address this knowledge gap, a 2-day panel meeting of nurses (N = 11) with experience using negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) was convened to discuss their usage recommendations for managing wounds with this treatment modality in the acute care setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe challenges of managing pressure ulcers are often not limited to clinical decisions; they may impact other areas that encompass patient care, including financial, emotional, psychosocial, regulatory, and medical-legal aspects. The difficulty in managing these complex factors is magnified by recent gains in understanding of the pathophysiology of wounds related to pressure, which serves as the basis for the etiology, diagnosis, staging, and management of these wounds. This article summarizes the current and evolving knowledge related to pressure ulcers and discusses an algorithm recently developed to assist in clinical management decisions related to patients with pressure ulcers, with emphasis on appropriate utilization of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy delivered by V.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLearn to use the system to help your patient heal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPressure ulcers are a serious health issue, leading to clinical, financial, and emotional challenges. Numerous treatment modalities are available to promote wound healing, yet clinicians may be unsure how to incorporate these treatment options into an overall plan of care for the patient with a pressure ulcer. A consensus panel of experienced wound care clinicians convened in July 2004 to review the mechanisms of action and research basis for one such treatment modality: negative pressure wound therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBOTOX cosmetic is proving to be an affordable alternative for thousands of people looking to enhance their appearance without the cost, risks and downtime associated with surgical procedures. Botulinum toxin is a neuromuscular blocking agent produced by Clostridium Botulinum, an anaerobic bacterium. When first discovered BOTOX was pinpointed as the cause of severe paralysis acquired through the ingestion of contaminated food.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe formidable challenge of chest wall repair calls upon a multidisciplinary health care approach. The vital organs housed within the chest must be protected and the vascularity of available tissues used for repair must be maintained. Once chest wall reconstruction is complete, the patient must be closely monitored for stability and tissues must be protected from internal and external assaults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe American Society of Plastic Surgeons' Clinical Guidelines specifically focuses on reducing complications from deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE). The incidence of these problems in plastic surgery is low. A 1998 survey of plastic surgeons found the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and PE in facelift patients to be 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe history of medicine has many amazing stories of odd anecdotes for the treatment of a variety of ailments. Who would have thought that common mold would revolutionize the treatment of infection, or slimy leaches could assist in the resolution of venous congestion? When retching from the effects of food poisoning, or even worse, developing severe paralysis acquired from food contaminated with the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium Botulinum (Botulism), who could have guessed that toxins produced by this bacteria could be used as an effective cosmetic treatment for frown lines and wrinkles? Such is the story of medicine: always inventive and surprising, and sometimes downright odd.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany lessons have been learned over the course of the history of wound care. The answers to many questions still lie in the future. With this glimpse of where wound care has been and where it is headed in the future, certain trends were found.
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