The Wound Trend Scale: A Retrospective Review of Utility and Predictive Value in the Assessment and Documentation of Lower Leg Ulcers.

Wound assessment is essential to manage wound care. The Wound Trend Scale (WTS) is a paper-and-pen instrument comprised of 14 parameters designed to guide assessment of findings relevant to lower leg ulcer management and includes an infection screen and cues for physician consultation. To determine its clinical utility, predictive value, and reliability, data were retrospectively analyzed from a random sampling of medical records of patients seen at a Foot and Leg Clinic between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008.

A Retrospective Quality Improvement Study Comparing Use Versus Nonuse of a Padded Heel Dressing to Offload Heel Ulcers of Different Etiologies.

Offloading heel ulcers is a challenging task because strategies deemed to be most optimal from a medical perspective may be unacceptable to patients. Observed adverse dressing events and problems with offloading devices led to a pilot study and subsequent change in practice at the authors' Foot and Leg Ulcer Clinic. Starting in 2004, patients requiring offloading received a nonremovable padded heel dressing (PHD) that was changed twice a week by the visiting nurse.

A retrospective, quality improvement review of maggot debridement therapy outcomes in a foot and leg ulcer clinic.

Maggot debridement is the deliberate use of larvae known to consume only necrotic tissue. A retrospective quality improvement analysis of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) was conducted among patients with devitalized tissue or gangrene attending a Canadian foot and leg ulcer clinic who received MDT between January 2001 and June 2006. MDT was applied every 48 hours until >90% of necrotic tissue was debrided.