The Wound Centre podcast
The Wound Centre provides everything you need to know about preventing and managing wounds, related OH&S, infection control issues and case studies. Subcribe to hundreds of articles and more published papers at www.thewoundcentre.com. You will receive regular emails and a free e-book 'Sharp Clinical Solutions for the prevention and treatment of skin tears' that are supported by the episodes in this podcast series.
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Face Ulcers
10/03/2024
Face Ulcers
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 deeper; Ulcers may be extremely painful; Ulcers may bleed; There may be exudates that require thick absorbent dressings; Bulky dressings can interfere with vision and eating; Even small dressings can interfere with eating and drinking; Dressings may become contaminated with food thus requiring more frequent changes. This case study serves to give healthcare workers and / or families some ideas that may be helpful; nothing is set in stone. There is not one particular wound dressing for a facial ulcer and whatever combination of dressings you do choose please remember that pain control is an absolute priority.
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MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
09/30/2024
MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
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 procedures. It can cause infection in wounds, urinary tract, blood and lungs to name but a few sites in the body. Staphylococcus aureus, which ordinarily lives in the nose and skin of humans, is a harmless berry-shaped (cocci) organism, find out how you can stop the spread with simple strategies like thoroughly wash all parts of your hands with soap and running water for 10-15 seconds before & after touching/dressing an infected area after going to the toilet after blowing your nose before handling or eating food after touching or handling unwashed clothing or linen CA Sharp, . Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2024 - ajmsjournal.info Mary A. Beard, Alison McIntyre & Phyllis M Rountree. Sphygmomanometers as a reservoir of pathogenic bacteria. MJA 1969
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Brenda Ramstadius and Kate Sharp discussing Pressure Wound Prevention
09/23/2024
Brenda Ramstadius and Kate Sharp discussing Pressure Wound Prevention
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 ulcers. Your professional judgement is an important tool in assessing this risk. Risk Tool Resource: Stand at the end of the bed and observe the patient Does the patient have limited or no movement in the limbs? Can the patient reposition themselves? If the patient does not have capacity, then they will be required to be repositioned to prevent pressure wounds as it has been found that pressure wounds can start with 30 minutes of imobility. As for Brenda, our friendship has lasted the test of time. We are besties and I thank her for contributing to this important conversation. For more information on pressure wound prevention head to
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Reducing skin tears, workload and costs in the frail aged AHMS Paper 2022
09/19/2024
Reducing skin tears, workload and costs in the frail aged AHMS Paper 2022
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, 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.
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The S.H.A.R.P. Clinical Solutions for the prevention and treatment of Skin Tears
09/16/2024
The S.H.A.R.P. Clinical Solutions for the prevention and treatment of Skin Tears
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 weeks to heal, often increasing a patients or resident’s discomfort. This free book, on the front page of The Wound Centre website, , it describes skin tears, who gets them and how they occur. The information teaches you how to prevent and treat skin tears. Skin tear prevention starts with risk screening, using HiCare bath cloths instead of showering, wearing limb protectors, and nursing patients on an alternating pressure air mattress instead of repositioning every two hours. There are two coloured flowcharts that you can copy, print, laminate and stick up on the wall for your staff. 1. The Sharp Wilkins Skin Tear Screening Tool and 2. The Sharp Wilkins First Aid Tool for Skin Tears Let me know if this episode has helped you in your practice and what other subjects you would like to know about by emailing me, Kate at .
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Introduction to the Wound Centre Podcasts
09/14/2024
Introduction to the Wound Centre Podcasts
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.
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