British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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After the removal of a dressing from a wound, wound cleansing is often the first action to be taken by the nurse. Saline or tap water is often used to loosen the dressing and therefore help to remove it. It can also be used for the subsequent cleansing of the wound if required. B/Braun Medical has a range of modern wound care products for all healing phases of acute and chronic wounds and this article will look at their saline range.
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Wound cleansing is performed on a regular basis by many healthcare professionals. However, the modern concept of cleansing has not always been a priority in wound management. There are many questions which challenge those responsible for cleaning wounds such as how often a wound should be cleaned and which techniques should be used. This article begins with a brief guide to wound cleansing and then focuses on the new Steripod normal saline produced by SSL International.
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There is increasing recognition of the therapeutic benefits of applying non-invasive ventilation in the treatment of acute and chronic respiratory failure. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is now commonly used in the treatment of patients who have problems with oxygenation but not ventilation on acute respiratory wards. ⋯ The suggestions for monitoring these patients will be examined and the potential hazards will be identified. This will be considered in relation to the evolution of non-invasive respiratory care units and the establishment of an acute respiratory care unit (ARCU).
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This article describes the treatment of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Carbon monoxide poisoning is the commonest cause of fatal poisoning in the UK. Despite this, HBO is an underused treatment modality. ⋯ Other causes of poisoning were: house fire; faulty gas appliances; industrial furnaces; and petrol generators. Of the 82 patients treated, 13 required mechanical ventilation and full haemodynamic monitoring, while the remainder were able to walk in and a few patients received intravenous sedation. In recent years the trend has been to re-treat patients more than once in the first 24 hours to increase efficacy and hopefully decrease the serious sequelae that can occur following CO poisoning.
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Hospital admission for children inevitably provokes feelings of anxiety for both parent and child. The development of day surgery has in some respects eased many of these anxieties; however, without the support of both verbal and written information and the development of quality preparation from children's nurses anxiety will continue to exist. This article seeks to explore the benefits of preparing children and parents for day surgery using preadmission education, and suggests how improvements may be made to practice, education and research.