What is wound care assessment?

Wound assessment can be defined as information obtained using observation, questioning, physical examination and clinical investigations in order to formulate a management plan1.

What are the basic principles of wound care?

The basic principles for the management of a wound or laceration are:

• Haemostasis.
• Cleaning the wound.
• Analgesia.
• Skin closure.
• Dressing and follow-up advice.

  Why do we need to assess first the wound before applying dressing?

  Before applying any type of wound dressing, it is important to assess the following: Mechanism of injury. Risk of contamination. Injury to deeper structures.

  What are wound assessment tools?

  The Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT), formerly the Pressure Sore Status Tool (PSST), is a 15-item objective measure designed to assess wound status and track healing. It serves to assess the progression of[SC1] wound healing.

  Why is wound assessment important in wound care?

  Frequent wound assessment based on the type, cause, and characteristics of the wound is necessary to help determine the type of treatment required to manage the wound effectively and to promote maximal healing. The health care professional should always compare the wound to the previous assessment to determine progress toward healing.

  What are the evidence based guidelines for wound care?

  Evidence-based guidelines have been published internationally to highlight recommended practices. The aim of this integrated review is to evaluate current surgical wound assessment and documentation practices of nurses in order to inform future evidence-based research on acute wound care practices.

  How are the principles of wound management applied?

  These principles can be applied to any simple wound, yet always involve your senior colleagues for advice and input as necessary. Always remember your own personal protection when assessing a wound, including gloves, apron or gown, and goggles/visors Haemostasis is the process that causes bleeding to stop.

  When to consider nutritional factors in wound care?

  If necessary, a nutritional consultation should be considered, particularly for patients who are morbidly obese or underweight. A number of other variables should also be considered in the nutritional management of wound care patients. A proper diet can be a powerful tool in wound care management.

  What is the objective of a wound assessment?

  The objective is to collect information about the patient and about the wound, that may be relevant to planning and implementing the treatment. Wound assessment includes observation of the wound, surveying the patient, as well as identifying relevant clinical data from physical examination and patient’s health history.

  What do you need to know about wound management?

  The individual with a wound will receive a comprehensive assessment that reflects the intrinsic and extrinsic factors specific to each individual and which have the potential to impact on wound healing or potential wounding A wound assessment must be performed and the results documented in the patient’s clinical record.

  What is the interprofessional approach to wound management?

  There is a collaborative practice and interprofessional care approach to promote optimal healing of the individual Acknowledges the central role of the individual and their carer in wound management and relevant health care decisions An ongoing process of clinical decision-making facilitates the optimal healing of the individual with a wound.

  Why is periwound skin important in wound assessment?

  The introduction of periwound skin as a component of wound assessment identifies a significant departure from traditional methods; it emphasizes the importance of addressing periwound skin during treatment in the same measure as wound bed and wound edge.