Wound Care Management

Accurate wound assessment and effective wound management requires an understanding of the physiology of wound healing, combined with knowledge of the actions of the dressing products available. It is essential that an ongoing process of assessment, clinical decision making, intervention and documentation occurs to facilitate optimal wound healing.

Guidelines for wound management:

• Promote a multidisciplinary approach to care.
• Initial patient and wound assessment is important and whenever there is a change in condition.
• Consider the psychological implications of a wound- especially relevant in the paediatric setting in relation to developmental understanding and pain associated with the wound and dressing changes.
• Determine the goal of care and expected outcomes.
• Respect the fragile wound environment.
• Maintain bacterial balance- use aseptic technique when performing wound procedures.
• Maintain a moist wound environment
• Maintain a stable wound temperature. Avoid cold solutions or wound exposure.
• Maintain an acidic or neutral pH.
• Allow a heavily draining wound to drain freely.
• Eliminate dead space but don’t pack a wound tightly.
• Select appropriate dressings and techniques based on assessment and scientific evidence.
• Instigate appropriate adjunctive wound therapies- e.g. compression, splinting and pressure redistribution equipment, off-loading orthotics.
• Follow the principles for managing acute and chronic wounds