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Case Study
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Introduction to biological dressings in home care: a Niagara Regional experience Theresa Hurd, BScN, MScN, MEd, ACNP The Community Care Nurse has played a very active role in the management of patients with wounds in the community. The changing, evolving medical environment, and new challenges have made it imperative that change be implemented in dealing with the large population of community patients with chronic wounds. There is a need in health care, for transformation and innovation in dealing with this specific population of patients. While the side effects of having a chronic wound are well documented; reduction in quality of life and well-being in this population, the cost of treating these wounds is astronomical. .Community Care Access Niagara (CCAC) serves a population of 500,000 and 54% of nursing visits consist of wound care treatments. The Clinician has discovered in her clinical setting; when monitoring outcome specifics that the application of bioengineered tissue has proved to be cost-effective by, reducing nursing visits and number of dressing changes, improvement of quality of life, and reduction in pain, acceleration with complete wound closure and prevention of complications such as infection, sepsis and possible amputation. The ease of application of bioengineered tissue and cost effectiveness has made this technology an option in wound management for the community nurse. .This poster presents the cost analysis and case studies of 20 patients many with complex medical backgrounds, wounds in duration of more then three years and regardless of proper wound bed preparation; epidermal advancement did not result. The clinician in collaboration with the local CCAC implemented biological skin grafts, which resulted in, epidermal advancement and complete closure of all wounds. The outcome was a cost effective method to close non-responsive wounds in a painless, noninvasive approach. . . Rolstad BS, Ovington LG, Harris A. Principles of Wound Managment. Bryant RA, (ed). Acute and Chronic Wounds Nursing Management. St Louis, MO: Mosby, 2000 Calhoun JH, Overgaard KA, Stevens CM, Dowling JP, Mader JT. Diabetic foot ulcers and infections: current concepts. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2002;15(1):31Ð42 Gath HJ. Use of Dermagraft in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Can J Plast Surg. 2002;10(suppl A):23AÐ26A Hsiang Y. Funding for Dermagraft to treat chronic wounds. Can J Plast Surg. 2002;10(suppl A):47AÐ50A Inlow S, Orsted H, Sibbald RG. Best practices for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2000;46(11):55Ð68. . |
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