The use of negative pressure wound therapy: Recommendations by the Wound Healing Association of Southern Africa (WHASA)
Wound healing is a complex and dynamic process, wound management is evolving, and modern wound management is a major contributor towards faster wound healing. Funding advanced technologies may reduce additional cost for frequent clinician visits and the use of more products at each visit.
Wound Bed Preparation 2021
Wound Bed Preparation is a paradigm to optimize chronic wound treatment. This holistic approach examines the treatment of the cause and patient-centered concerns to determine if a wound is healable, a maintenance wound, or nonhealable (palliative). For healable wounds (with adequate blood supply and a cause that can be corrected), moisture balance is indicated along with active debridement and control of local infection or abnormal inflammation. In maintenance and nonhealable wounds, the emphasis changes to patient comfort, relieving pain, controlling odor, preventing infection by decreasing bacteria on the wound surface, conservative debridement of slough, and moisture management including exudate control. In this fourth revision, the authors have reformulated the model into 10 statements. This article will focus on the literature in the last 5 years or new interpretations of older literature. This process is designed to facilitate knowledge translation in the clinical setting and improve patient outcomes at a lower cost to the healthcare system.
Wounds: an overlooked burden (Part 2) - Wound treatment: a daunting decision
Various types of wounds are encountered daily in medical practice, and due to the numerous treatment options available on the market, making the most appropriate choice of treatment may be a rather daunting decision. The wound treatment should not inconvenience the patient to the point that the wound care becomes compromised. It is for this reason that a proper assessment of the wound status be conducted in order to select an appropriate treatment intervention or dressing type, as this will directly impact the way in which the wound heals. This article is based on the expertise of three active wound care practitioners and aims to provide guidance to clinicians when providing primary wound care. The downloadable tables can be printed and used as reference materials in daily practice.
Noval negative-pressure wound therapy system provides accurate pressure delivery and exceptional fluid handling capability
Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a widely accepted modality in the treatment of complex wounds. However, there are fundamental requirements not incorporated in all current NPWT systems that must be met in order to realize its full clinical benefits, which include accurately delivering a set level of negative pressure to the wound bed, creating a pressure gradient between the wound bed and the waste canister to efficiently remove fluid and prevent stagnation in the tubing, and maintaining a sealed wound environment. The objective of this investigation was to use a simulated wound model to compare the ability of two NPWT systems (System A, Invia® Liberty™ [Medela AG] and System B, V.A.C.ULTA™ [3M+KCI]) to deliver set levels of NPWT and simultaneously manage volumes of simulated wound exudate. (Testing was conducted at an independent third-party laboratory using a test protocol designed by Medela AG. Outcomes may not be indicative of clinical performance.)
The use of hypchlorous acid in an irradiation ulcer of the lower eyelid - a case study
Radiation therapy represents an important cornerstone in the treatment of numerous cancers, as evidenced by the fact that approximately 50% of patients with cancer will receive this form of treatment. In 95% of these individuals, radiation therapy causes some form of skin injury as high doses of radiation causes significant harm to healthy tissue and skin. Management of injuries due to ionising radiation is challenging, with injuries ranging from acute redness to full ulceration of the skin. This can cause considerable anxiety and discomfort to patients. This case study explores the use of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in the treatment of acute radiation injury of the lower eyelid skin.
A tricky trio of wounds
Complex wounds can prove very challenging even for the most experienced clinician. Here we present a series of three cases where suboptimal outcomes from conventional treatments led to further investigation, resulting in unusual diagnoses that affect wound healing. These cases highlight the benefit of varied clinical input from a multidisciplinary team in the management of complex wounds.
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