Most of the population is aging, and the oldest group—those over 80—has one of the fastest-rising populations. This group also wants greater health care to keep them active, healthy, and fit. This has a price, and healthcare costs are skyrocketing as a result. Nursing and other healthcare professionals must balance meeting patient needs with finding ways to control or lower costs.
Importance of Proper Wound Care
If a wound is not correctly treated, it may grow infected, take longer to heal, leave behind unsightly scars, or even become chronic. A wound that has not gone through the typical stages of healing, is taking longer to heal or has stopped after only partially healing is considered chronic.
A professional can give ongoing care for wound management by changing the bandages and dressings, monitoring the healing process, and altering the wound care regimen as necessary. People who are elderly or disabled will frequently benefit from the assistance of a healthcare provider who can do this specialized wound treatment.
Assessment and treatment of wounds
Assessment of the patient as a whole, not just the wound, is necessary to successfully treat complex wounds. Frequently, systemic issues make it difficult for wounds to heal; yet, non-healing wounds may be a sign of systemic pathology.
Wound care continues to be provided mostly by multidisciplinary teams, especially for patients who have numerous co-morbidities. For instance, patients with diabetic foot ulcers must attend their specialist's outpatient clinic session, but they also receive visits from community practitioners on predetermined review dates, sharing the burden of providing wound care.
Care of Infected Wound
The presence of bacteria or other organisms that grow and overcome host resistance is a definition of wound infection. A local infection can prevent tissue repair and cause tissue damage, whereas a spreading infection can result in systemic sickness. Infection can lead to wound dehiscence and has a negative impact on how well a wound heals.
More serious wound infections require immediate medical attention, especially if they are accompanied by additional symptoms like fever, feeling sick, drainage, or red streaks coming from the site.
Antibiotics are used by doctors to treat bacterial infections. To effectively treat the infection and prevent the germs from developing medication resistance, a person must finish the prescribed antibiotic course.
Some wounds could need more care than simple washing. The healthcare provider may need to use stitches to close a large or deep incision. Smaller incisions can frequently be stitched up with pieces of the tape or medical adhesive.
Wound Care Nurse
In fact, there is a specific type of nurse that specializes in this field: the wound care nurse. Nurses play a crucial role in wound treatment. Burns, ulcers, ostomies, and lacerations are just a few examples of the complex wounds that wound care nurses are trained to examine and treat. They collaborate with medical professionals and the patient's care team to create a treatment strategy that meets their needs. Hospitals, patient homes, nursing homes, and hospices are just a few places where wound care nurses can practice.
Elderly patients require sophisticated wound care. Use the nursing process like analyzing, planning, implementing, and evaluating as part of a logical, structured strategy. Given the significant risks and comorbidities associated with these patients, it is crucial for nurses to take into account issues including cost-effective dressing selection and prescribing decisions.
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