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The patient population served by Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center consists of Pediatric, Adolescent, Adult, & Geriatric Patients.
OMHC Caters to Patients Requiring Assessment, Diagnostic Testing, & Medical Interventions to Maintain or Restore Optimum Levels of Functioning.
Patients with Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Respiratory, Metabolic/Endocrine, Musculoskeletal and limited Psychiatric Diagnosis, typify the patient population.
Wounds affect human tissues and hinder their function. The type and degree of the incurred wound determines its treatment options. Aid kits can often be used at home to treat less serious wounds. But the serious ones require specialist treatment that only skilled and certified experts can give.
In these situations, the patient relies on experts to fully heal their wounds with minimal problems after recovery. Due to the importance of wound healing and aftercare, and the development in medical sciences, numerous distinct branches of medicine have emerged specifically for wound healing.
Here, each wound management principle is used for one or more of the following objectives:
Healthcare professionals use wound management principles to prevent infection or promote fast healing by making patients comfortable during recovery.
During the initial wound examination, nurses will study every aspect of the patient’s well-being and health since it could affect the healing process. Nurses will also focus on treating vascular problems, managing diabetes (if present), steroid usage, improper nutrition, and even smoking to speed up wound healing.
Cleaning the surface of the wound will assist the wound in healing effects and prevent wound infections by reducing bacterial growth and pollution. Nurses may often irrigate wounds after changing the dressing. However, this will vary depending on the type of wound and the way it heals.
The dressing of every wound needs to be changed and checked on time. A dressing must be replaced if it begins to rip or become contaminated. While changing the dressing, nurses prevent the patient from experiencing skin irritation and pain by using a dressing adhesive remover and soaking dressings before removal.
Dressing choices vary based on the condition of the wound, and it becomes difficult while treating complex or chronic wounds. An ideal dress meets the patient’s needs with utmost comfort. The dressing should be non-allergenic, maintain appropriate wound humidity, and protect a wound physically and microbiologically.
Acute or chronic wounds demand different treatments, depending on the nature of the wound. Here are some different types of wounds and the appropriate solutions for them.
Topical preparations have been used to treat wounds for hundreds of years. Dressings have undergone significant development over the past 50 years and play an important part in wound treatment. Back in the 18th century, wound dressings were made using organic substances like oakum.
Although highly absorbent, these dressings could not hold onto exudate, contaminated the incision, and bonded to the surrounding skin. As a result, a product called Gamgee was developed. It has a core of absorbent cotton wool and is covered in two layers of cotton gauze. Medical science has come a long way since then, and in the 19th and 20th centuries, more synthetic materials were used to make dressings.
Dressings protect the wound and maintain its moisture, which speeds healing. Only gangrenous, dry, diabetic toes need a dry environment to heal properly.
First, the nurse will use a neutral solution (like a saline solution) to treat the wound and disinfect the debris. However, it is wise to not use toxic solutions (Hydrogen peroxide) since they impede wound healing.
Now, your nurse will choose a dressing material that is simple to change, uses the correct anchoring to maintain its position, and won’t stick to the skin or hurt the normal skin around the wound or the wound bed. This is done to ensure that patients do not develop complications, including allergic or contact dermatitis.
The perfect dressing should be comfortable to wear, lessen odor, maintain the wound’s moisture without becoming macerated, and inhibit the growth of bacteria. The wound should be frequently examined to choose the best wound dressing.
There are many different kinds of dressings and even wound-care techniques available today. Surgical or chronic wounds are generally those that require special dressings.
Here are the reasons for a wound dressing:
The healing of wounds demands a range of nutrients. Here are some of these nutrients:
Protein is essential for the maintenance and repair of body tissue. Low protein levels will decrease collagen production, which will hamper wound healing. If enough protein is present, wounds can heal as fast as possible.
Vitamin C plays a critical role in collagen synthesis and subsequent cross-linking. Vitamin C levels must be adequate to boost a healing wound.
Vitamin A promotes collagen synthesis by increasing the inflammatory response in wounds. Low vitamin A levels can cause infection and prolong the healing of wounds.
Zinc helps in the healing of wounds. Zinc has an influence on tissue repair and growth as well as the production of collagen. Red meat, fish and shellfish, dairy products, poultry, and eggs are all rich sources of zinc.
Iron deficiency can delay healing because it is a mineral that provides oxygen to the area of the wound. A lack of iron can also impair the process of healing and collagen formation.
Wound management is the treatment of wounds in the skin or other body tissues. It is essential for the healing of wounds. Because healing wounds is a complicated procedure, it requires the knowledge of various healthcare specialists.
Doctors, nurse practitioners, PAs, RNs, and other specialists are a few examples of these experts. We at Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center are equipped with all you require to heal difficult wounds. Contact us to know more.
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