Reducing skin tears, workload and costs in the frail aged AHMS Paper 2022
Release Date: 09/19/2024
Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment. Do We Need A 'Golden Hour'?
The Wound Centre podcast
Sharp CA and White R. Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment: Do we need a ‘golden hour?’ Journal of wound care vol 24, no 3, march 2015 Letter to the Editor Screening patients on admission using rapid clinical judgement, focusing on immobility, the only evidence based risk factor for pressure ulcer development,6 is the fastest way to determine risk. Interventions could then be provided immediately and pressure ulcers prevented. Accordingly reducing delays in screening for pressure ulcer risk and providing pressure...
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Pressure Wounds : Estimating Risk and Is It Truly Evidence Based
The Wound Centre podcast
I knew that pressure ulcers were caused by immobility and the survey showed that many nurses knew that too. They were not using official risk assessment tools but rather their own clinical judgement to screen for risk; and they were right. Nevertheless, it took writing this paper to prove that no risk screening tools could do a better job that nurses using their own knowledge and experience to determine who was at risk. Unanimously nurses wanted to simply focus on mobility; immobility being the only risk factor nurses need to focus on. Because there is no evidence that some of the risk...
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Unusual Pressure Wounds and Screening Methodology
The Wound Centre podcast
Unusual heel pressure ulcers in ambulant patients Case Studies and listen to the following episode on screening and how to use professional judgement in screening.
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Tinea Pedis : Thinking about it differently
The Wound Centre podcast
Tinea is a fungal skin infection that can be spread by skin to skin contact. It may be picked up in swimming baths, from floors and cubicles. Tinea is commonly seen on the feet but can affect the groin, scalp and beneath the breasts. Tinea is also known as ringworm but there are no worms.When dressing after a shower, put the patient’s socks on before underwear. That way you are not dragging fungi from the toes to the groin. Let your care staff know to dry well between the patient's toes and put socks on before underwear. Check inside the patient’s shoes. They may need new shoes. Notify a...
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Face Ulcers
The Wound Centre podcast
Wound care for facial ulcers can be challenging. The site of the ulcer; appearance; social factors; pain control; availability of wound dressings; amount of exudates and patient tolerance, all impact on the choice and combination of dressings. Ulcers on the face are often very difficult to dress for several reasons: Patients don’t want to see the ulcer; They want the ulcer to be ‘hidden’; At the same time they want to look reasonable for their family & visitors; Discrete dressings are the obvious choice…but what?; It is difficult to disguise ulcers as they get larger and...
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MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
The Wound Centre podcast
A major culprit in cross-infection in all types of healthcare facilities is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It is endemic in tertiary referral hospitals in the developed world. The first Australian isolation was made at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) in Sydney, Australia, in 1965. So what is MRSA and how can we stop the spread of this potentially deadly nosocomial (hospital acquired) pathogen that has become resistant to so many antibiotics? It is a problem particularly for susceptible patients: neonates, immune suppressed and those undergoing surgical...
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Brenda Ramstadius and Kate Sharp discussing Pressure Wound Prevention
The Wound Centre podcast
In this episode I introduce my bestie, Brenda Ramstadius and we discuss the preventative care needed to ensure patients and facilities are free from pressure wounds. Brenda is a wonderful friend and an incredible source of knowledge and experience when it comes to practical strategies, having shared these with thousands of her students and operational staff in aged care facilities and hospitals. In the interests of patient comfort, and costs of pressure wounds I highly recommend the alternating pressure air mattresses for all patients who present with the risk of pressure...
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Reducing skin tears, workload and costs in the frail aged AHMS Paper 2022
The Wound Centre podcast
Following on from my episode where I introduced the Skin Tear Book, this paper “Reducing skin tears, workload, and costs in the frail aged: replacing showers with bath cloths” can be downloaded from Google Scholar at no cost. My colleague and good friend Julie Campbell and I were published in the AJMS Vol 13 No 2 1st February 2022 There is a Table in the paper that shows how many towels are used for a conventional shower (two to dry the resident and one on the floor to stand on) compared with no towels at all when HiCare bath cloths are used. No towels = no laundry, no water,...
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The S.H.A.R.P. Clinical Solutions for the prevention and treatment of Skin Tears
The Wound Centre podcast
In this, my very first episode of Podcast, I introduce the prevention and treatment of one of the most common injuries in Aged Care, Skin Tears. Due to the fragility of the skin in our senior years, the utmost care, and alternatives, must be taken to prevent the pain and suffering that Skin Tears create. The SHARP/WILKINS Skin Tear Book is freely available for your information, education, and reference, so download from the Wound Centre website. I discuss the identification, treatment, and care of these wounds that can take days or...
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Introduction to the Wound Centre Podcasts
The Wound Centre podcast
Hello Podcaster The Wound Centre provides a Unique Service for You! You will be able to download case studies with step-by-step wound management, fact sheets for your staff and patients, as well as this interactive site where you can post your comments and questions. We can assist with advice on the right equipment to prevent pressure ulcers, the best dressing for skin tears in the aged and much more. The Wound Centre provides skilfully researched summaries of the best information based on real life experiences over many years with patients… information that really works.
info_outlineFollowing on from my episode where I introduced the Skin Tear Book, this paper “Reducing skin tears, workload, and costs in the frail aged: replacing showers with bath cloths” can be downloaded from Google Scholar at no cost. My colleague and good friend Julie Campbell and I were published in the AJMS Vol 13 No 2 1st February 2022 https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v13i2.40548
There is a Table in the paper that shows how many towels are used for a conventional shower (two to dry the resident and one on the floor to stand on) compared with no towels at all when HiCare bath cloths are used. No towels = no laundry, no water, no electricity.
HiCare bath cloths save heaps of time allowing you to give residents extra help with food, taking them for a walk and much more.
If any of the residents do sustain a skin tear the beautiful silicone dressing Mepilex Border can be used. It adheres gently to the skin but not to the actual wound.
I'll be discussing more about the work I have done with skin tears, and the solutions to support your role in aged care facilities, health services and hospitals.