I learned a ton of tricks when I got my WOCN last year. Here is one of them, when you are cleansing a pressure ulcer if you warm your solution slightly it increasing the healing time of the ulcer. When you put cold water on ANY wound it sets back the healing time almost 8 hours! SO warm your solution and help your ulcer heal quicker, this works for surgical wounds if you warm the NS as well. Happy wound care

That's awsome to know... I've been working on stage 4 bilat wounds for over a year now... I'll be sure to pass that one on!

we all learn from eachother this is fantastic... i know that this isnt a tip but I recently had a patient that used maggot wound therapy. i just posted a video about it because I had never been exposed to this therapy and wanted to learn more click my profile and check out my Maggot wound therapy video... also posted in videos under education under wound therapy

AbusyRN2go says ...

 I learned a ton of tricks when I got my WOCN last year. Here is one of them, when you are cleansing a pressure ulcer if you warm your solution slightly it increasing the healing time of the ulcer. When you put cold water on ANY wound it sets back the healing time almost 8 hours! SO warm your solution and help your ulcer heal quicker, this works for surgical wounds if you warm the NS as well. Happy wound care

I believe this to be true, it only make since, heat promotes vasodilation dilates blood vessels, so the more blood vessles that are dialated, the healing processes is better, if you use cold, it only delays the process, because cold causes vasocular constriction, which constricts the blood from circulating, which delays the healing process. This is a helpful advice, thank you.

Yes, I recently had a home care assignment.  My patient had a red area on her tail bone area. I went to CVC pharmacy. You know that they are making the Destin Products with Zinc Oxide in them. Yes I know about the butt creme.

I used that stuff for my daughters diaper rashes and it cleared it up in amtter of hours, I recommended we try it at work and so far it has worked better than the laniseptic. And it's much cheaper.

Yes I am familiar with it too. When I worked on PED"S as a clinical care partner, the patients parents would refer me to use the butt cream on their child.

I had heard of the butt cream before, but not in a professional setting. Great to hear we have more options. The warming of the saline solution makes complete sense--Great tip! Keep them coming!

My homecare patient, had alot of the wound jell, I applied it, but eventually purchased the desitin cream with the zinc oxide, and I applied a pillow on the area that was pressured. I saw a approvement within a week.

I had the chance to be trained by a wound vac company.  Then I helped take care of quite a few pt's since then with this technique.  It works great! However, the caregivers need to be trained in it's use or it doesn't benefit the pt.  I have found wound vac dressings put on completely wrong and would have been dammaging the area further.  If you work where you run acrossed pt with wound vacs, request an inservice for the staff, don['t leave it up to the wound/ostomy nurse.

There was a shocking development in the hospital once,  one of the wound/ostomy nurses was changing a wound vac dressing for an abdominal wound and when  she hooked it back up to the vac, the wound eviscerated and the pt had to be rushed to the OR.  I haven't been able to find anyone willing to say what happenned to that pt.  hmmmm.

OMG! Thats great! I have never heard of that before. I guess it makes sense though. I will definately try that the next time one of my pt. has a wound.

 Did you know that with pressure ulcers cleaning the wound with water is the same as sterile NS? Since Medicare does not reinburse for any saline ever, you can save your facility a ton by using water instead.

I was told by an older RN that when changing dressings always put your name/date/time on a piece of tape before you apply the final gauze.  She said she had issues with nurses on prior shifts saying they changed the dressing when they didn't.  And the proof was there under the gauze.

Wow! Great wound tips I am a DON at a long term care facility, we rarely have pressure areas but I will definately be passing these tips on to my staff.  THANKS

Hello,

      Any time changing a dressing you are to address any patient’s wound care. It’s a CYA notice and if it is not signed, dated, time and shift….guess what? It was not done and no validation is there to prove it.  

       I always carried a black small sharpie in my pocket. I would sign my initials, time, date, shift, and a symbol. Everyone knew I did my dressing changes on my shift. I had a way if someone tried to take off my tape with the information and place their tape in place. I felt sorry for them. Two Layers down was my symbols on four corners with the date and a letter in the middle of each symbol. The letters spelled out my nick name and bingo, it was my dressing completed. Therefore, I would change my marks each time so no one could copy it.

    In our facilities, sometimes it would occur by mistake or intentionally and a report was completed. Then as a professional RN by showing the progress note, wound chart check off and showing the dressing with your information by removing the false information. The report is dismissed and the reprimand turns into a sorry. No need to be angry at anyone because the CYA worked in your favor.

      Remember CYA and in the progress note

      Please note in the progress note the description of the wound, measure the wound, color of the wound, treatment, PAIN and PAIN Scale, PAIN Med given 15 mins. prior to Dressing change, patient’s reaction to dressing change, and note any abnormal smells from the wound. Do not forget the date, time, initials, title, and shift.

 Everyone forgets to give pain meds 15 minutes prior to wound care. There is no excuse for the absent of pain medication by the nurses. The patient has the right to refuse the medication times three according to JACCO and the patient should have three opportunities to decline it. The physicians are really good about writing pain medications prior to dressing changes. Please note the pain med was given 15 mins. prior to dressing change. This will make it comfortable for the patient.