Title : Untangling skin breakdown & poor wound healing outcomes
Abstract:
The major categories of chronic dermal ulcers are complex and difficult to prevent and treat. These are the categories of venous stasis, neuropathic (diabetic), arterial insufficiency, and pressure ulcers/injuries plaguing patients who suffer with the health conditions after which the ulcers are named. Although there are multiple etiologies of open wounds and chronic dermal ulcers, this session will focus on these major four categories and how clinicians can impact optimal patient health and healing modalities along with prevention or recurrence of these ulcers.
Pressure ulcers/injuries are a huge issue in any health care setting, including the home. Attempts to fight pressure injury formation through preventive means are met with varying levels of success. There are costly and regulatory ramifications to the development and deterioration of pressure injuries in any setting as well as the difficult issue of human suffering. Pressure injury prevention, treatment, and care rendered through clinician caring, collaboration, communication, and close engagement is also as important as best practice and evidence-based prevention and treatment measures.
Major points for discussion are:
- A brief introduction to the pathophysiology of pressure, venous, arterial, and neuropathic ulcerations
- The components of a robust wound assessment
- “T.I.M.E”, an acronym that guides best practice cares for healing modalities
- Current pressure ulcer guidelines
- How to defy recalcitrant (non-healing) chronic wounds
- Other hot topics such as prevention of hospital-acquired infections, common factors that impact wound healing, the wound microbiome, optimizing the Braden Scale for robust pressure ulcer prevention interventions, and other best practices for managing complex wounds.
