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WOUND CARE TODAY
2016,Vol 3, No 1
3
EDITORIAL
i
M
aking decisions is part of everyday life. Do I have that extra
shot in my morning coffee to get me on the road; would
the blue or the red curtains go better with the living room
furniture; or most taxing of all, should I hit snooze on my alarm one
more time or jump straight out of bed?
When patient’s lives are involved, however,
decision-making takes on a whole new sense
of importance, which is why we often rely on
clinical guidance. But, what if the guidance
itself is too complicated?With
pressure damagepresenting as a wide range of wounds, many
of us have relied on the EPUAP and NPUAP
grading system to make clinical decisions around
ulcer treatment. However, the latest version
of this guidance has seen accusations that the
system is now too complicated for clinicians to follow. In this issue of
our‘
X
ound
X
atch’
( pp. 4–5) series, we ask whether we will ever get a
universally accepted pressure ulcer staging system.
This issue of
Wound Care Today
also looks at the challenging issue
of managing wound pain effectively, the appropriate use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), as well as the importance of accurately assessing a patient’s wound, while the‘top tips’feature
( pp. 32–34 )provides a snapshot
overview of debridement.All of the articles are also available online
(www.jcn.co.uk), where
you can also learn more about wound care through our Learning Zone
resources
(www.jcn.co.uk/learning-zone), either by reading an article
or completing a module and answering the accompanying questions
to gain a certificate.You can then log this activity in your free JCN
revalidation e-portfolio, as evidence of your continued learning
(www.jcn.co.uk/revalidation).
Jason Beckford-Ball, editor,
Wound Care Today
Managing director
Nicola Rusling
nicola@woundcarepeople.co.ukPublisher
Binkie Mais
binkie@woundcarepeople.co.ukEditor
Jason Beckford-Ball
jason@jcn.co.ukBusiness director
Alec O’Dare
alec@woundcarepeople.co.uk07535 282827
Sales manager
Sam Ciotkowski
sam@jcn.co.ukOpinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect those of Wound Care People Limited.
Any products referred to by the authors should only be used as
recommended by manufacturers’data sheets.
Making your mind up...
WOUND CARE TODAY
©Wound Care People Limited 2016
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Bidford on Avon, Alcester B50 4JS
ISSN 2054-9636
t: +44(0) 1789 582000
e:
binkie@woundcarepeople.com http://www.jcn.co.ukAll rights reserved. No part of the
Wound Care Today
journal may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means
electronic or mechanical, photocopied or otherwise without the
prior written permission of Wound Care People Limited.
Printed in England by
Blackmore Ltd, Shaftesbury
i
Contents
4 Wound watch: how can we get a universally accepted pressure ulcer staging system? 6 At a glance: staging pressure injuries can seem challenging 12 Managing pain in wound care Jemell Geraghty 18 Negative pressure wound therapy: selection, choices and outcomes Jeanette Milne 24 The importance of accurately assessing the patient’s wound Edwin Chamanga 32 Top tips: debridement