Development of a surgical wound assessment tool to measure healing and risk factors for delayed wound healing in Vietnam: a Delphi process

Infection assessment tools for acute and chronic wounds: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To map the tools available in the literature for assessing wound infection.

METHOD

This is a scoping review conducted from the Joana Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis, in the databases of the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and the academic literature repository, Google Scholar. The research question was developed based on the acronym PCC (Population/Concept/Context), resulting in the following formulation: "Which tools available in the literature assess wound infections?"

RESULTS

The analysis included 32 wound infection assessment tools. Of these, 26 using clinical signs and symptoms of infection distributed across scales, checklists, classification systems, and completion forms were identified. In addition to these, 5 electronic devices and 01 software were identified.

CONCLUSION

The diversity of instruments highlights the complexity of wound infection management, emphasizing the need to discuss their applicability, benefits, and limitations to select the best evidence-based instrument.

Surgical wound assessment tool: Construct validity and inter-rater reliability of a tool designed for nurses

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To validate construct validity and inter-rater reliability of a surgical wound assessment tool.

BACKGROUND

Wound assessment is central to appropriate wound management. However, limited standard surgical wound assessment tools are available to assist nurses in assessing and recording progress in the healing of surgical wounds.

DESIGN

A prospective observational study was utilised to test the validity and reliability. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline was used.

METHODS

Convenience sampling was used to recruit 260 patients who underwent elective or emergency surgery at a hospital in Vietnam. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity of the surgical wound assessment tool. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient and Cohen's kappa to determine reliability of the overall scale and identified items.

RESULTS

The results of the exploratory factor analysis supported a three-component structure of the surgical wound assessment tool. The intraclass correlation coefficient value of the overall scale was 0.79 (95% CI 0.67-0.89), p < .001, confirming excellent inter-rater reliability. Cohen's kappa value ranged from 0.5 to 1, demonstrating moderate to almost perfect level of agreement for individual items, except for one item on pain.

CONCLUSION

The surgical wound assessment tool was deemed to be acceptable, valid and reliable for monitoring the status of surgical wound healing. However, further modification and testing are needed to strengthen the tool and to determine the applicability of the tool in other populations.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The application of the SWAT would improve the assessment of surgical wounds in daily nursing practice which will promote improved postoperative wound management. It is an easy and practical tool for enhancing inter-disciplinary communication and care outcomes for all patients with surgical wounds.