Ostomy/wound management
-
Ostomy/wound management · Apr 2014
A prospective two-armed trial assessing the efficacy and performance of a silver dressing used postoperatively on high-risk, clean surgical wounds.
Surgical site infections (SSI) are a known complication of surgery. Silver-containing wound treatments are popular, despite the lack of evidence of SSI reduction. A two-armed study was conducted between July 2007 and November 2008 to evaluate the efficacy and ease of use of a postoperative silver dressing. ⋯ In the second arm, 34 out of 36 patients rated the study dressing easy to apply in (94%), and no pain on removal was noted in 38 out of 57 (66.7%) assessments. No patients in the dressing performance cohort developed an SSI. Prospective, randomized, controlled clinical studies with large sample sizes are warranted to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the POSD.
-
Ostomy/wound management · Mar 2014
Case ReportsUse of a portable, single-use negative pressure wound therapy device in home care patients with low to moderately exuding wounds: a case series.
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is widely used in the management of acute and chronic wounds. The purpose of this 8-week study was to evaluate outcomes of using a new canisterless, portable, single-use NPWT system in patients with wounds treated in a Canadian community healthcare setting. The device is designed to provide negative pressure at 80±20 mm Hg, 24 hours a day of continuous usage, for a maximum wear time of 7 days. ⋯ Healing rates in the portable and conventional NPWT group were similar (10% to 11% per week). Portable, single-use NPWT has the potential to deliver good wound outcomes in community care settings and simplify the use of negative pressure for nurses and patients. Additional research is needed to evaluate treatment efficacy and cost effectiveness.
-
Ostomy/wound management · Sep 2013
A quantitative, cross-sectional study of depression and self-esteem in teenage and young adult burn victims in rehabilitation.
Burns can have a negative physiological and emotional impact, particularly among teenage victims. To assess the presence of depression and level of self-esteem, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 63 teenage and young adult burn victims ages 12 to 20 years undergoing physical and psychological rehabilitation at the Outpatient Unit for Plastic Surgery and Burns at the Central Institute of the Clínicas Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Assessment instruments included Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). ⋯ Burn location did not affect depression (BDI: P = 0.26) or self-esteem (RSE: P = 0.21). However, depression and self-esteem were more significant in participants who were not able to work and/or go to school than in those who were (BDI: P = 0.04 and self-esteem RSE: P = 0.03). Contrary to the initial hypothesis, this population of teenage burn victims did not experience depression and low self-esteem compared with the normal population described in the literature, which may demonstrate the importance of multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs.
-
Ostomy/wound management · Aug 2013
A laboratory study examining the impact of linen use on low-air-loss support surface heat and water vapor transmission rates.
Layers of linens are frequently placed under patients to manage moisture and/or assist with positioning immobile patients, including persons placed on a therapeutic surface because they are at risk for developing pressure ulcers. Because skin microclimate is believed to affect pressure ulcer risk, some therapeutic surfaces are designed to manage skin temperature and humidity (microclimate management). The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of linens and underpads on a low-air-loss (LAL) surface's ability to disperse heat and evaporate moisture. ⋯ All combinations that included plastic-containing underpads significantly reduced the surface's ability to dissipate heat and evaporate moisture, and use of the maximum number of layers (nine) reduced heat withdrawal to the level of a static, nonLAL surface. The results of this study suggest that putting additional linens or underpads on LAL surfaces may adversely affect skin temperature and moisture, thereby reducing the pressure ulcer prevention potential of these surfaces. Additional studies to examine the effect of linens and underpads as well as microclimate management strategies on pressure ulcer risk are needed.