Wound Care Consultation in Postacute/Long-term Care: Characteristics and Practice Implications

Managing Complex Wounds in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)

Wounds, especially chronic wounds, can be clinically challenging to manage. The presence of a chronic wound in a patient can not only cause nociceptive pain but also psychological and emotional pain. In extreme cases, they can be life-threatening if they present with infection and sepsis from poor wound care. This paper highlights the care of a patient in a skilled nursing facility who presented with a very complicated post-surgical abdominal wound, secondary to an infected post-surgical incision. The skilled nursing facility was very concerned about the size, depth, and nature of the wound, and talks were underway to transfer the patient to a different long-term acute care facility or to the hospital for more specialized care. Thanks to the weekly rounds of a specialized wound care physician to the facility, and a dedicated wound care nurse to execute the physician's orders, the wound was adequately cared for and close to resolution at the time of the patient's discharge to home.

Capturing Essentials in Wound Photography Past, Present, and Future: A Proposed Algorithm for Standardization

GENERAL PURPOSE

To discuss a standardized methodology for wound photography with a focus on aiding clinicians in capturing high-fidelity images.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES

After participating in this educational activity, the participant will be able to:1. Discriminate the components of high-quality wound photography.2. Identify the technological innovations that can augment clinical decision-making capacity.3. Choose strategies that can help clinicians avoid adverse medicolegal outcomes.