Hydrocolloid dressings have been utilized in the midst of countless health care facilities due to the increasing number of decubitus ulcers. Decubitus ulcer, also commonly known as bedsores or pressure ulcers, is an exposed wound on your skin frequently occurring on the skin concealing bony areas. It is mutual among the elderly, people who devote prolonged periods of time in bed or a wheelchair, and individuals who cannot move particular body parts without assistance (Solan, 2014). Many diverse prevention dressings have been introduced across the years to diagnose pressure ulcers; this paper pursues to examine appropriate literature to evaluate and compare the efficacy of hydrocolloid dressing in patients with decubitus ulcers.
Belvoir Media Group (2010) realised an article claiming that although pressure on the skin is the focal cause of decubitus ulcers, other factors frequently fund this problem. These factors include; shearing and friction causing the skin to stretch and blood vessels to curve which results in impair blood circulation, Moisture, circulatory problems, age, and people with poor nutrition. It further claims that ulcers can be categorised in different stages (stage 1; being the initial stage, and stage 4; being the most severe), and treatments for ulcers include distinct dressings to be applied to promote healing. Cooper (2013) likewise clarifies that many different factors contributing to the progress of ulcers in supplement to pressure such as moisture, shear and friction. She additionally goes on to say that hydrocolloid dressings do not relieve pressure, nonetheless do reduce friction and shearing of the wound.
Avent (2010) a clinical nurse specialist formed an article stating that Studies have uncovered th...
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...urage healing but also commendable for the treatment of all types of superficial wounds in which the main significant concern is excess exudate. Though, “in a study of these types of superficial wounds, it is difficult to demonstrate that one material is superior to another in terms of wound healing” (Kim & Lee et al., 2013).
In conclusion there are many diverse types of dressings available for wound management, with no solitary dressing being claimed to be the best due to the differences amongst health care professionals. There are on going searches for an ideal wound dressing for the management of ulcers. In weighting out the negatives and positives there is no hesitation in saying that hydrocolloid dressings make a significant involvement in the contribution to modern wound management and is deemed a success for the management of patients with decubitus ulcers.
As a result of Lily’s extensive hospitalisation period, a grade 3 pressure ulcers developed on her buttocks. A pressure ulcer is a localised injury to the skin which is usually located over a bony area as a result of pressure or pressure combined with friction (Willock et al., 2007). According to Sibbald et al., (2003) excreted bodily fluids are often common factors which contribute to the breakdown of skin, especially as a consequence of urinary or faecal incontinence. There were many factors which contributed to the breaking down of Lily’s skin, such as infrequent nappy changes and lack of mobilisation. Ensuring the maintenance of skin integrator within the critical care setting has its challenges. Often, patients are attached to multiple
Polit, D. F. & Beck, C. T. (2012). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
For the process of formulating a PICO question I have narrowed down to five questions pertaining to the factors in the development of pressure ulcers. The first question is what role does the environment play i...
Kaplan, L. (2012, October 2012). Reading and Critiquing a Research Article. American Nurse Today, 7(10). Retrieved from
which is commonly diagnosed by prolonged pressure to the skin. A decubitus ulcer forms when constant pressure is put on skin and can damage the underlying tissue (Mayo Clinic, 2014). For example, persistent sitting in a wheelchair. It is an injury to the skin that is usually over a bony prominence like the sacrum (Kirman, C. et al. 2014). The National pressure ulcer advisory panel (NPUAP) explains that these sores result in ischemia, cell death, and tissue necrosis to the skin. The categories include four stages and two which are deep tissue injuries (NPUAP). Patients that use a wheelchair and have other disabilities have a higher chance developing pressure sores which limits their opportunity to position themselves (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
" Journal Of The American Academy Of Nurse Practitioners 24.12 (2012): 726-734. Academic Search Premier -. Web. The Web.
Thomas, D. R. (2001). Issues and dilemmas in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers: A
This phase generates the necessary actions that are vital in preparing the wound for healing. The body is attempting to remove the triggering stimulus (if present), limit the tissue damage, and set the stage for repair and regeneration of the wound (Rowan et al., 2015). If natural biological healing does not progress satisfactorily, it can lead to a chronic wound with chronic inflammation, though this is most often associated with other disease conditions or a compromised immune system. On a larger scale, this is a significant, world-wide issue of concern for present and future research, because these types of non-healing or persistent wounds impact on the quality of life for an estimated 40 million people worldwide and are costly in many ways (Zhao, Liang, Clarke, Jackson, & Xue,
The Species of the World. Advanced-Practice Nursing—Good Medicine for Physicians? New England Journal of Medicine, 33(3), 211-214. Retrieved from http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM199401203300314. National Council for the State Boards of Nursing, APRN Background, (2012).
Still today, nurse staffing is a crucial health policy issue. Since the 1980s, the nursing profession has taken on more prominence in America with a large focus on research studies. In fact, U.S. Public Law 99-158, Health Research Extension Act of 1985, authorized the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) at National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Health Research Extension Act of 1985, 1985). With U.S. Public Law 103-43, NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, the NCNR was formally changed to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) (NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, 1993). The NINR started constructing purposeful research projects, which produced a positive correlation between the number of staff and quality of care. However, the 1996 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report expressed, at that time, no significance between nurse staffing and clients’ outcomes in acute-care hospitals (Institute of Medicine Staff, Davis, Sloan, & Wunderlich, 1996, p. 9).
Due to the fact that people with chronic wounds are generally seen on a weekly basis in a clinic, the
The normal wound healing process mainly consists of four main stages being haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation or new tissue formation, and tissue remodeling or resolution. For a wound to heal well the above mentioned stages should occur in a sequential and orderly manner. Disturbances, abnormalities and delays in any of the above stages may lead to impaired healing or even chronic wounds. In adults, this process of normal healing takes place in the following steps (1)rapid haemostasis (2)appropriate inflammation (3)mesenchymal cell differentiation, proliferation, and migration to the wound site (4)suitable angiogenesis (5)prompt re-epithelialization and (6) proper synthesis, cross-linking, and alignment of collagen to provide strength to the healing tissue.
For nursing, research has played a major role in the way clinical practice is done. Research has allowed nurses to provide appropriate care to patients. It allows them to perform their job by providing them the tools and information they need in order to make the decisions on the concerns for caring the patient (Polit & Beck, 2006). Moreover, research can also take focus on the workers themselves in order to improve the practice both on a professional and personal level. An example of a study conducted by King, Vidourek, and Schweibert of University of Cincinnati created a study to determine if there is a correlation between ...
When a wound is determined as non-healable, as described by Sibbald et al (1), it should not be treated with a moist treatment and should be kept dry in order to reduce the risk of infection that would compromise the limb. It is also important to consider the patient 's preferences and try to control his pain, his discomfort in activities of daily living and the odour that their wound may produce. In this case, special attention must be given to infection prevention and control. Some charcoal dressing would be interesting in the care of our non-healable wounds at St. Mary 's Hospital.
Potter, P. A., & Perry, A. G. (2009). Fundamentals of nursing (Seventh ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby Elsevier.