The WOUND-Q Function and Symptoms Scales for Chronic Lower Extremity Wounds: A Validation Study

Objective: Determine the validity and reliability of the LIMB-Q scales, Function, and Symptoms in patients with chronic lower extremity wounds. Approach: Cognitive debriefing interviews with people with current or previous wounds were conducted to examine content validity. Scales were field-tested in an international sample of people with chronic lower extremity wounds sourced from an online platform (i.e., Prolific). Psychometric properties were examined using the Rasch Measurement Theory analysis. A test-retest reproducibility study was performed, and construct validity was examined. Results: Content validity was established after 10 cognitive interviews. A total of 233 people with lower extremity wounds (age 19-80 years, mean 39.3) participated in the field test. All 25 items tested demonstrated good fit to the Rasch model with ordered thresholds. One item had a fit residual outside ±2.5, but no items had significant χ2 values after Bonferroni adjustment. Reliability was high with the person separation index, Cronbach alpha, and intraclass correlation coefficient values >0.8. Strong correlations were found between the Function and Symptoms scales and EQ-5D dimensions measuring similar constructs as well as the EQ-5D global score. All hypotheses for construct validity were confirmed. Innovation: Patient-reported outcome measures are an important component of patient-centered care, as they capture the patient's perspective in a rigorous and reproducible way. Adding these two scales to the WOUND-Q provides a means to measure function and symptoms associated with lower extremity wounds. Conclusion: These new WOUND-Q scales can be used to measure outcomes important to patients with lower extremity wounds in clinical settings and research studies.

Identification of Nursing-Sensitive Indicators on Pressure Injuries/Ulcers: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to develop a conceptual framework to identify nursing-sensitive indicators for preventing and managing pressure ulcers. The first step involves defining evidence-based indicators critical to effective prevention and management. The second step examines the relationships influencing the management of these indicators, using insights derived from scientific research findings. This review is guided by a conceptual framework rooted in Structural State Theory and uses a methodological approach. A total of 956 articles were identified through a search of original references from Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL, covering the period from 2012 to 2023. A systematic review of 29 studies identified 241 relationships between dependent and independent variables. A theoretical conceptual framework highlighted nursing-sensitive indicators (independent variables) related to patients, nurses, pressure injury/ulcer management, organizational structure, and their association with pressure injury/ulcer outcomes (dependent variables). The analysis showed that patient-focused studies had the highest frequency of relationships. This review highlights the complexity of managing pressure injuries/ulcers and the essential role of nursing care practices and interventions in shaping outcomes. The findings highlight the need for specialized wound care nurses and further research on nursing interventions, urging hospitals to invest in structural changes and nurse education.

The Wound Care Pathway: a Danish effect study

AIMS

To investigate how the implementation and training in the WCP affects the behaviour of generalist nurses, focusing on four specific endpoints: motivation, confidence, critical thinking and knowledge.

METHODS

A total of 89 generalist nurses received 6 hours of training in the WCP, over a period of 10-16 weeks. The participants filled a questionnaire before and after the training. Data were collected between January 2023 and January 2024.

FINDINGS

There was a significant improvement in the participants' wound care knowledge, motivation and self-efficacy. The participants' confidence in their wound care skills also increased after the training. A notable improvement was seen in nurses' critical thinking when treating wounds and delivering wound care.

CONCLUSIONS

The WCP guide supports healthcare professionals in their day-to-day work and strengthens their critical thinking and knowledge of wound care management.

Construction of nomogram for wound recurrence in elderly patients with venous leg ulcers

Background

Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs) are one of the most serious and intractable complications of chronic venous insufficiency. This study aims to develop a nomogram based on a theoretical model to predict the probability of wound recurrence in older patients with VLUs.

Methods

The elderly patients with VLUs attending the five hospitals between September 2021 and October 2022 were enrolled in this research, and randomized to the training and validation cohorts based on the corresponding ratio (7:3). Recurrent events were recorded during a six-month follow-up after the baseline data collection. The univariate analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method were used to screen variables, and multiple logistic regression was used to establish a risk prediction model, which was presented by nomogram. Receiver operating curves (ROC), Hosmer-Lemeshow test, as well as calibration curves, were adopted to assess the effectiveness of the nomogram. The prognostic value of the nomogram was also examined.

Results

A total of 608 elderly patients with VLUs were included in the study. They were randomly divided into the training cohort (N = 421) and the validation cohort (N = 187). In the training cohort, Lasso regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that previous recurrence number, last ulcer duration, lower extremity DVT history, and frailty were independent risk factors for wound recurrence in elderly patients with VLUs, while daily exercise time and self-efficacy were protective factors. A nomogram was established with a good discrimination capacity and predictive efficiency with and the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.869 (95%CI: 0.831-0.908) in the training set and 0.890 (95%CI: 0.841-0.938) in the validation set. The p values of the Hosmer-Lemeshow test for both sets were 0.887 and 0.772, respectively, both greater than 0.05. The calibration degree charts showed that the data point connection was similar to the diagonal, indicating that the model's prediction probability of wound recurrence in elderly VLUs patients is close to the actual probability.

Conclusion

This study constructed a new nomogram to predict the risk of wound recurrence in elderly patients with VLUs. The nomogram has excellent accuracy and reliability, which can help healthcare workers and patients actively monitor and follow up with patients to prevent the recurrence of ulcers and make clinical decisions.

Attitudes of nurses and physicians working in hard-to-heal wound management towards person-centred care

OBJECTIVE

Person-centred care (PCC) is an important approach as it positively affects disease management. Guiding studies are needed on the use and development of PCC in hard-to-heal (chronic) wound management. This study aimed to determine attitudes and approaches of nurses and physicians working in hard-to-heal wound management towards PCC, and obtain their views and suggestions for its scope and improvement.

METHOD

Participants of this descriptive survey study consisted of nurses and physicians responsible for hard-to-heal wound care and treatment in healthcare institutions at all levels in Turkey. Data were collected through a structured online survey shared with members of professional associations via social media platforms between March-November 2020. Descriptive statistics and qualitative inductive content analysis were used to analyse data.

RESULTS

Participants (n=418) included physicians (84.2%) and nurses (15.8%). Mean participant-graded their person-centred behaviour level was 8.18±1.80 (out of 10 points). The majority of participants reported that they informed patients about care, treatment processes and options (87.3%) as well as including them in the decision-making process (74.6%). Responses of the participants regarding the scope of PCC were classified into five main categories, the most prominent being: 'individual', 'care', 'professional development' and healthcare system'. Suggestions for the improvement of PCC were classified into seven main categories, with 'personalised care', 'disease-specific care', 'continued training of healthcare professionals should be ensured' and 'home care system should be developed for the continuity of care' among the prominent subcategories.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggests that education on PCC is an important approach. Institutional protocols and guidelines can support person-centred hard-to-heal wound management. In this study, the level of person-centred behaviour of the participants was determined to be good. Although the results of the study cannot be generalised to all health professionals-the majority of the participants were physicians-it is recommended to develop and disseminate the PCC model in hard-to-heal wound management using the findings.

Evaluation of earthquake-related wounds; example of a university

BACKGROUND

It is a holistic assessment of the forms of the first few piles of wound care. The right approach in this process directly affects the healing stages and treatment rates of the wound.

OBJECTIVE

To examine earthquake injuries retrospectively and to contribute to the literature.

METHODS

The data of patients who were treated in a university hospital between February 10 and February 21 after the earthquake were evaluated retrospectively using the wound evaluation formula.

RESULTS

A total of 116 patients' wounds were evaluated. The mean age of the participants was 31 ± 19.5 (min = 1, max = 72), the mean wound follow-up day was 6.5 ± 3 (min = 1, max = 15), and the most common type of injury was crushing (45.7%).), the injury site was found to be the lower extremity region (73,3) the most. There were signs of infection in the wound area in 62.9% of the patients. The most signs of pocketing, exudate, and infection in the wound were found in amputation (p < 0.05). The wound type with the highest moisture content of the wound and healthy skin around the wound was found to be fasciotomy (p < 0.05). The highest mean percentage of black necrosis was found in crushing (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The study gives us information about the type and location of the injury and the condition of the wound bed. Earthquakes are among the disasters that cause the most loss of life and injury in developing countries such as our country. This study is one of the rare studies evaluating the wound and its features in the literature of our country, and more studies are needed in this area.

Healing Time of Skin Ulcers in Homecare Residents in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy

The growing phenomenon of skin ulcers represents an important health problem; therefore, we conducted a pilot study to evaluate the ulcer healing time among adult subjects followed by the Home Nursing Service of the AUSL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy, and diagnosed with at least one skin ulcer during the period of January-August 2020. We recruited 138 subjects (45.5% men) with a mean age of 86.1 years. The subjects presented with 232 ulcers, of which 76.7% were pressure ulcers (60.1% were stage II), 18.1% were vascular ulcers, and 4.7% were diabetic foot ulcers. Ulcer management required only one weekly access for the majority of subjects, with a recovery frequency of 53.6% at the end of the observation period. The median ulcer healing time was 3.6 months and was shorter in women (2.6 months) than men (5.1 months), with an increasing trend according to the number of ulcers and the severity of pressure ulcers for vascular and diabetic foot ulcers. In conclusion, this is the first study carried out in an Italian population describing the distribution and characteristics of homecare residents with skin ulcers and highlighting the factors influencing the healing time and as consequence the duration of nursing care.

The effect of Lucilia sericata larval excretion/secretion (ES) products on cellular responses in wound healing

Chronic wounds are still regarded as a serious public health concern, which are on the increase mainly due to the changes in life styles and aging of the human population. There are different types of chronic wounds, each of which requires slightly different treatment strategies. Nevertheless, wound bed preparation is included in treatment of all types of chronic wounds and involves tissue debridement, inflammation, and infection control, as well as moisture balance and epithelial edge advancement. Maggot therapy (MT) is a form of biological debridement which involves the application of live medical grade Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae. Whereas it was initially thought to act mainly through debridement, today MT is known to influence all four overlapping physiological phases of wound repair: homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling/maturing. During MT, medical-grade larvae are applied either freely or enclosed in tea-bag like devices (biobag) inside the wounds, which suggests that larva excretion/secretion (ES) products can facilitate the healing processes directly without the need of direct contact with the larvae. This review summarizes the relevant literature on ES-mediated effects on the cellular responses involved in wound healing.

EWMA Document: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

1. Introduction Since its introduction in clinical practice in the early 1990's negative pressure wounds therapy (NPWT) has become widely used in the management of complex wounds in both inpatient and outpatient care.¹ NPWT has been described as a effective treatment for wounds of many different aetiologies^2,3 and suggested as a gold standard for treatment of wounds such as open abdominal wounds,^4-6 dehisced sternal wounds following cardiac surgery^7,8 and as a valuable agent in complex non-healing wounds.^9,10 Increasingly, NPWT is being applied in the primary and home-care setting, where it is described as having the potential to improve the efficacy of wound management and help reduce the reliance on hospital-based care.¹¹ While the potential of NPWT is promising and the clinical use of the treatment is widespread, highlevel evidence of its effectiveness and economic benefits remain sparse.^12-14 The ongoing controversy regarding high-level evidence in wound care in general is well known. There is a consensus that clinical practice should be evidence-based, which can be difficult to achieve due to confusion about the value of the various approaches to wound management; however, we have to rely on the best available evidence. The need to review wound strategies and treatments in order to reduce the burden of care in an efficient way is urgent. If patients at risk of delayed wound healing are identified earlier and aggressive interventions are taken before the wound deteriorates and complications occur, both patient morbidity and health-care costs can be significantly reduced. There is further a fundamental confusion over the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in this complex patient population. This is illustrated by reviews of the value of various treatment strategies for non-healing wounds, which have highlighted methodological inconsistencies in primary research. This situation is confounded by differences in the advice given by regulatory and reimbursement bodies in various countries regarding both study design and the ways in which results are interpreted. In response to this confusion, the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) has been publishing a number of interdisciplinary documents^15-19 with the intention of highlighting: The nature and extent of the problem for wound management: from the clinical perspective as well as that of care givers and the patients Evidence-based practice as an integration of clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from systematic research The nature and extent of the problem for wound management: from the policy maker and healthcare system perspectives The controversy regarding the value of various approaches to wound management and care is illustrated by the case of NPWT, synonymous with topical negative pressure or vacuum therapy and cited as branded VAC (vacuum-assisted closure) therapy. This is a mode of therapy used to encourage wound healing. It is used as a primary treatment of chronic wounds, in complex acute wounds and as an adjunct for temporary closure and wound bed preparation preceding surgical procedures such as skin grafts and flap surgery. Aim An increasing number of papers on the effect of NPWT are being published. However, due to the low evidence level the treatment remains controversial from the policy maker and health-care system's points of view-particularly with regard to evidence-based medicine. In response EWMA has established an interdisciplinary working group to describe the present knowledge with regard to NPWT and provide overview of its implications for organisation of care, documentation, communication, patient safety, and health economic aspects. These goals will be achieved by the following: Present the rational and scientific support for each delivered statement Uncover controversies and issues related to the use of NPWT in wound management Implications of implementing NPWT as a treatment strategy in the health-care system Provide information and offer perspectives of NPWT from the viewpoints of health-care staff, policy makers, politicians, industry, patients and hospital administrators who are indirectly or directly involved in wound management.

The reality of routine practice: a pooled data analysis on chronic wounds treated with TLC-NOSF wound dressings

OBJECTIVE

A number of randomised controlled trials (RCT) have compared control groups with TLC-NOSF dressings (UrgoStart) on chronic wounds. Our aim was to determine whether the clinical trials' results translate into routine management of such wounds, by pooling the data from real-life observational studies.

METHOD

Observational studies, conducted in France and Germany, evaluating current practices in patients suffering from non-selected chronic wounds treated with a TLC-NOSF dressing were identified. Demographic data, baseline description of wounds and description of their evolution during treatment were extracted and combined. We used two main indicators of clinical outcomes to measure the impact of the TLC-NOSF dressing on this population: time to wound closure and time to 50% reduction of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) score.

RESULTS

In total, data from 10,220 patients were included, with 7903 leg ulcers (LUs), 1306 diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and 1011 pressure ulcers (PUs). The overall closure rate was 30.8 % [95 % confidence interval (CI): 29.9-31.7 %]. While the country, patient age, and number of wounds were identified as independent prognosis factors of healing, the most significant were wound duration and baseline area. The delay in initiating TLC-NOSF dressings treatment was also found to be significant. Overall the average time to complete closure was 112.5 days [95%CI: 105.8-119.3] for LUs, 98.1 days [95 %CI: 88.8-107.5] for DFUs and 119.5 days [95%CI: 94.6-144.3] for PUs. Based on a subgroup analysis of the French cohort, time to closure is substantially shorter for wounds treated with the TLC-NOSF dressing as a first-line intervention compared with those where it has been prescribed as a second-line intervention.

CONCLUSION

Compared with available data on time to complete closure of chronic wounds managed by 'standard' care, the data from this pooled data analysis showed healing time is reduced, which is consistent with the results of RCTs on TLC-NOSF. That these data are in agreement with those from the RCTs is testimony to their generalisability and important for routine practice. This indicates that using TLC-NOSF dressings in routine wound management can reduce the healing time of LUs, DFUs and PUs. These data also suggest that the earlier the decision to use this dressing, the shorter the time to closure, whatever the severity and the nature of these chronic wounds.

Estimating the health-care costs of wound care in Ireland

Objective:

To estimate the cost of wound care to the Irish health-care system.

Methods:

A bottom-up, prevalence-based analysis was undertaken using a decision analytic model to estimate costs. Health-care resource activity was identified from a recently published study from the UK and was valued using unit cost data for Ireland.

Results:

The base case analysis estimated the total annual healthcare cost of wound care to be €629,064,198 (95% Confidence interval (CI): €452,673,358 to €844,087,124), accounting for 5% (95% CI: 3% to 6%) of total public health expenditure in Ireland in 2013. The average cost per patient was €3,941 (95% CI: €2,836 to €5,287). However, this study is subject to many limitations and plausible changes in the model's inputs showed that the total annual health-care cost of wound care could range from €281,438,970 to €844,316,912.

Conclusion:

Caring for wounds places a substantial burden on the Irish health-care system. In light of growing pressures to finance an already resource-constrained health-care system, these results provide useful information for those charged with future wound care service design and provision in Ireland and elsewhere.

"Wounds Home Alone"-Why and How Venous Leg Ulcer Patients Self-Treat Their Ulcer: A Qualitative Content Study

BACKGROUND

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs), the most common type of leg ulcerations, have long healing times and high recurrence rates; reimbursement rules and a general shortage of nursing staff have put self-treatment into focus. The study aimed to investigate why and how patients with VLUs self-treat their ulcers.

METHODS

Patients with VLUs (N = 32) were selected by criterion sampling for a multicentric qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed via inductive qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

More than two-thirds of participants sometimes self-treated VLU and one quarter changed their prescribed treatment. Experiences were expressed through four themes as follows: (a) current local VLU therapy; (b) VLU self-treatment; (c) patient education; and (d) psychosocial issues. The main reasons for self-treatment were a lack of healthcare resources, reimbursement restrictions, and dissatisfaction with conventional treatment together with insufficient knowledge about the wound-healing process and possible side effects. No educational materials were provided for patients or caregivers. Many patients adopted homemade remedies.

CONCLUSION

Patients with VLUs practice self-care due to limited healthcare availability, a low awareness of the causes of their condition, and the effects of therapy on VLU healing. Future educational intervention is needed to enhance self-treatment.

Combined therapy in the treatment of mixed etiology leg ulcer - case report

The most frequent causes of leg ulcers are chronic venous disease (CVD) related mainly to venous hypertension and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) related to disseminated atheromatous lesions in lower limb arteries. In 15%-21% of patients, ulcers of mixed venous-arterial etiology occur, which are usually more resistant for conservative therapy (compression therapy, pharmacotherapy, wearing elastic stockings, leg elevation and massage, change of lifestyle, and regular physical exercises). The contemporary model of complex therapy of leg ulcers in the course of chronic venous and arterial insufficiency more often also comprises numerous physical therapy procedures as associated therapy. This paper presents beneficial results of treatment applied to a 58-year-old patient with 1-month lasting painful chronic ulcers of both shins of mixed venous-arterial etiology, resistant to conservative therapy, which was performed by using the device Laserobaria-S for local combined physical therapy including simultaneous action of hyperbaric oxygen, extremely low-frequency (ELF) variable magnetic field, and low-energy light radiation. As a result of a 9-week therapeutic cycle consisting of 30 daily procedures, a complete healing of ulcers in both shins with accompanying subsidence of pain and substantial reduction in the intensity of local inflammation around the ulcer was obtained. The patient reported no side effects, and no complications were observed during the therapy.

Assessment of chronic wounds in adults: an integrative review

OBJECTIVE

To identify the main aspects that should be assessed in adults with chronic wounds.

METHOD

This was an integrative review of the scientific literature published between 2010 and early 2015 in the PubMed and Web of Science databases.

RESULTS

Few studies exclusively address wound assessment. However, the review found many aspects to consider when assessing individuals with ulcers, grouped as follows: factors that significantly affect healing or the development of new wounds (age, nutritional status, functional capacity, or comorbidities), pyschosocial factors, and wound characteristics (location, size, depth, type of tissue, time of evolution).

CONCLUSION

The literature search did not result in any one aspect that must be considered when assessing chronic wounds, but a complex interaction of factors that include both physiological and social and psychological elements. Professionals should be aware of this multifactorial approach to achieve early detection of the development and evolution of ulcers and to intervene accordingly.

Wound care evidence, knowledge and education amongst nurses: a semi-systematic literature review

The aims of this study were to determine the knowledge and skills of nurses involved in wound care, to provide a critical overview of the current evidence base underpinning wound care and to determine the extent of utilisation of existing evidence by nurses involved in the management of wounds in practice. A semi-systematic review of the literature was undertaken on Cinahl, Medline Science Direct and Cochrane using the search terms: wound, tissue viability, education, nurse, with limitations set for dates between 2009 and 2017 and English language. Shortfalls were found in the evidence base underpinning wound care and in links between evidence and practice, prevalence of ritualistic practice and in structured education at pre- and post-registration levels. The evidence underpinning wound care practice should be further developed, including the conduction of independent studies and research of qualitative design to obtain rich data on both patient and clinician experiences of all aspects of wound management. More structured wound care education programmes, both at pre-registration/undergraduate and professional development levels, should be established.

No Sting Barrier Film to Protect Skin in Adult Patients: Findings From a Scoping Review With Implications for Evidence-Based Practice

BACKGROUND

In the industrialized world, approximately 1-1.5% of the population has received treatments for skin lesions. In the 1990s, a polymeric barrier film called the No Sting Barrier Film (NSBF) was developed as an alternative to petrolatum-based ointments and zinc oxide formulas. To date, few studies have explored the effectiveness of NSBF in protecting skin integrity.

AIMS

To map the methods, fields and outcomes used to produce evidence on NSBF effectiveness.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed in 2015. A search strategy for identifying relevant studies was designed and performed. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, and comparative studies for all types of interventions were included; research conducted in any clinical context was eligible for inclusion. Studies were selected by two reviewers; data extraction and analysis also was performed by two reviewers and disagreements were discussed.

RESULTS

Six studies were included. NSBF's potential as a skin protector was investigated with respect to (a) chronic wounds (pressure ulcers or vascular leg ulcers); (b) urinary or fecal incontinence; and (c) post-mastectomy irradiation. The principal clinical outcomes investigated were, respectively: (a) wound healing, wound exudates and erythema control; (b) incidence of incontinence-associated dermatitis and skin reactions; and (c) intensity of pruritus and skin reactions. Pain and comfort were measured in all clinical applications. The main process outcomes investigated were: (a) ease of application, (b) application and removal time, and (c) costs. Zinc oxide and petroleum formulations were the most common comparison interventions in research on chronic ulcers and incontinence; sorbolene cream and topical corticosteroids were the most frequent comparisons in the context of post-mastectomy irradiation.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

NBSF may be used for peri-wound skin protection in patients with chronic wounds, with urinary or fecal incontinence and for women undergoing post-mastectomy irradiation. However, more robust experimental studies are needed in all clinical fields where NBSF is applied.

Evaluation of a muscle pump-activating device for non-healing venous leg ulcers

This evaluation involves an innovative muscle pump‐activating device (geko™) as an adjunctive therapy with best practices for non‐healing venous leg ulcers (VLUs). Stimulating the common peroneal nerve (at the fibular head), the geko™ device creates a response that acts as foot and calf muscle pumps, increasing venous, arterial and microcirculatory flow. The aim was to evaluate and determine if the geko™ is effective in this population and if it should be added to the medical supply formulary. In all, 12 patients with 18 recalcitrant VLUs (defined as less than 30% reduction in wound size in 30 days with best practices) in two community settings in Ontario consented to the evaluation and were treated with the geko™ for up to 20 weeks.

A total of 44% of wounds healed, and 39% decreased in size. One patient non‐adherent with the geko™ and best practices had deterioration in his or her wounds. With the patients as their own control, the mean weekly healing rate with the geko™ was 9·35% (±SD 0·10) compared to 0·06% (±SD 0·10) prior to baseline, which was statistically significant (P < 0·01). Three patients not in optimal therapy increased compression due to decreased pain, further enabling healing. This study was not a randomised investigation, although the patients acted as their own controls. A pragmatic evaluation reflects the reality of the community sector; in spite of best practices or evidence‐based care, therapy is not uniformly applied, with some participants unable to tolerate or indeed comply with optimal compression therapy. Rash occurred under the devices in 7 of 12 (58%) patients. One patient stopped the device due to rash, while another had to take breaks from using the device. Subsequently, the manufacturer (FirstKind Ltd) has developed a new device and protocol specific to the requirements of wound therapy to minimise this response.

This small case series demonstrated the highly significant effectiveness of the geko™ device in these hard‐to‐heal VLUs. Further evaluations to determine dose and patient selection criteria are underway.

Internet-based learning programme to increase nurses' knowledge level about venous leg ulcer care in home health care

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To test the effectiveness of an Internet-based education programme about venous leg ulcer nursing care on perceived and theoretical knowledge levels and attitudes among nurses working in home health care.

BACKGROUND

Nurses have been shown to have knowledge gaps in venous leg ulcer nursing care. Internet-based learning could offer a means for flexible continuing education for home healthcare environment.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental study with pre- and postmeasurements and nonequivalent intervention and comparison groups.

METHOD

Nurses (n = 946) in home health care in two Finnish municipalities were invited to participate in the study and divided into intervention and comparison groups. The intervention group received education programme about venous leg ulcer nursing care, while the comparison group did not. Data were collected at baseline, at six weeks and at 10 weeks to test the hypotheses: nurses using education programme about venous leg ulcer nursing care will have higher level of knowledge and more positive attitudes than those not using education programme about venous leg ulcer nursing care. An analysis of variance and mixed models with repeated measures were used to test differences in knowledge and attitudes between and within the groups.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant increases in knowledge levels in the intervention group from baseline to the first and second follow-up measurements. In the comparison group, the knowledge levels remained unchanged during the study. Attitude levels remained unchanged in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Nurses' perceived and theoretical knowledge levels of venous leg ulcer nursing care can be increased with Internet-based education. However, this increase in knowledge levels is short-lived, which emphasises the need for continuous education.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Internet-based education about venous leg ulcer nursing care is recommended for home healthcare nurses. Education programme about venous leg ulcer nursing care provides flexible method for nurses' learning with feasible and cost-effective access to evidence-based education. Education programme about venous leg ulcer nursing care material can be used in all nursing environments where Internet is available.

Challenging passivity in venous leg ulcer care - the ABC model of management

The under-utilisation of compression for venous leg ulcer (VLU) management translates into lost opportunities to heal wounds, improve patients' quality of life and maximise health care system efficiency. Although compression therapy is considered gold standard according to clinical guidelines, lack of clinician knowledge, unclear referral pathways, local unavailability of compression and patient unwillingness to receive compression, amongst other reasons, mean many candidates for compression do not receive appropriate treatment. This article presents a solution in the form of the 'ABC model of VLU management, a simplified approach that challenges passivity in the current approach to VLU treatment and supports wider adoption of appropriate compression therapy systems.

A clinical in-market evaluation of an alginate fibre dressing

Practice nurses working in GP surgeries are responsible for caring for patients with both acute and chronic wounds. The management of wounds is challenging and it is important to achieve and maintain an optimum healing environment. As practice nurses play an integral part in managing both acute and chronic wounds within a community setting, it is essential that they can make informed decisions as to which products to use. A clinical in-market evaluation of 23 patients was carried out to assess the performance of ActivHeal Aquafiber® in clinical practice. Overall, the dressing performed well in respect of fluid handling and durability. The dressing addressed patient needs in terms of easy application and removal, prevention of leakage and wound progression.