wound Care

Wound care (Pressure Ulcer)

Descriptions

During community placement, my mentor and I visited M (patient), a 75years old lady, who was presented with a Pressure Ulcer, on the heel of her right leg. On arrival, my mentor asked me to manage M’s wound. However, I have observed and participate in carrying out this skill (wound care) with my mentor on several occasions. I explained the procedure to M and gained her consent to carry out the procedure.

The preparation and application of aseptic technique was quite challenging in M’s home, however I washed my hands, worn apron and gloves, and adopt aseptic technique. When I remove the old dressings and assessed the wound, I observed that M’s wound was slightly exudates, odour, sloughs and dry skin (flakes) around the wound. When M asked me, how the wound was, I was not confident to answer her question, but rather turn to my mentor, who then answered her.

I displayed the sterile pack on a flat surface and I dipped the gauze into a warm normal saline and gently cleaned the wound; I cleaned the slough and remove the dead tissues, under my mentor’s supervision and I also applied intrasite gel unto the wound bed, and put an antimicrobial heel dressing and securing it with a two way stretch bandages (tubifast).

Feelings

I was nervous, when my mentor asked me to carry out this procedure and thus, became very careful not to cause more pain to M. Being an invasive procedure, I was worried not to infect the wound when it was exposed, and when I could not answer her question, I felt uncomfortable.

Evaluation

Being an invasive procedure, I adopt aseptic techniques; Hart (2007) state’s that, employing aseptic technique helps to create an environment (asepsis) free from living pathogenic micro-organisms. Aziz (2009) conceded that, it helps prevent wound from contaminations and other susceptible site, by organism that could cause infection (HCAIs). I gently remove the slough and dead tissues, and applied an intrasite gel unto the wound bed, and then I put an antimicrobial heel dressing on the wound. Fletch (2007) suggests that, the removal of necrotic tissue and thick slough from wound bed, helps to promote healing by creating moist balance and controls bio burden to ensures optimal healing environment. Barrett (2009) concurs that, the management of wound required dressing that can maintain a moist environment, absorbs exudates as well as remain in situ over number of days.