A mobile application for wound care (Minuteful) was trailed over a seven-month period in an acute inpatient setting in Northwest England. During the trial an increase in the availability of wound photography was noted (+37%), a reduction in inappropriate tissue viability nurse reviews (-10%) and the identification of mis-reported pressure ulcers (n=65). Challenges noted during the implementation included initial software compatibility issues with the tablets available on the wards and poor staff engagement. Overall, this initial trial indicates the potential safety, economic and service efficiency improvements that may be possible via implementation of mobile application technology in wound care. Further robust studies are needed to explore the initial findings of this trial in greater depth.

KEY WORDS： Acute care   Chronic wounds   Mobile application   Wound care

MATTHEW WYNN

Honorary Tissue Viability Nurse- Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust' LUCY SCHOLES Senior Tissue Viability Nurse, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

Emily R. Kindal1, Kaitlin J. Larson2, Luis G. Fernandez3,4,5#, Sean F. O’Keefe6, Marc R. Matthews7*

1 Medical Student IV, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

2 Surgical Resident, The Arrowhead Surgical Residency, Glendale, Arizona

3 Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler, USA

4 Trauma Wound Care, UT Health East, Tyler, USA

5 Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA

6 Business Development Manager, Saint Paul, US

7 University of Arizona & Creighton University Schools of Medicine, The Arizona Burn Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Email:★marc＿该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。.

How to cite this paper: Kindal, E.R., Larson, K.J., Fernandez, L.G., O’Keefe, S.F. and Matthews, M.R. (2022) The Use of the V.A.C. RX-4 for Multiple Soft Tissue Wound Application in the Single Patient: A Case Report. Surgical Science, 13, 155-163. https://doi.org/10.4236/ss.2022.133020

Received: January 28, 2022

Accepted: March 26, 2022

Published: March 29, 2022

Copyright © 2022 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Abstract

Contact burn injuries account for a considerable proportion of admissions that frequently require debridement. Such debridements of these multiple open wounds might benefit from the application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for the removal of proinflammatory mediators and to promote granulation tissue with macrostrain and microstrain. Having four or more Vacuum Assist Closure (V.A.C.) Ulta devices connected to the same patient for adequate wound coverage is cumbersome in the management of the patient’s wound care and tethers the patient to the bed. The V.A.C. RX-4 is a multichannel device that can deliver NPWT with a smaller footprint. In addition, the V.A.C. RX-4 has a weight of 16 lbs. versus one V.A.C Ulta which is 7.4 lbs. Therefore, collectively, four V.A.C. Ultas would equal 29.6 lbs. or almost double the weight of a single V.A.C. RX-4. Use of the V.A.C. RX-4 by healthcare providers can mean greater mobility for the patient and easier transport between patient destinations within the hospital. This case report demonstrates the utility of the V.A.C. RX-4 for open and freshly debrided, large soft tissue wounds in a burn patient.

# UT Texas, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery/Family Practice UT Health North East, Tyler, Texas, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine and Nursing, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, Past Commanding General TXSG Medical Brigade, Austin, TX USA, Chairman Emeritus, Division of Trauma Surgery/Surgical Critical Care, Associate Trauma Medical Director and Chief of Trauma Surgical Critical Care Unit, Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System, Tyler, Texas, Surgical Attending, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas.

Keywords

V.A.C. RX-4, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, Wounds, V.A.C. Ulta, Footprint, Burns

Nanotechnology has opened a new area of scientific research. This field deals with materials within the dimensions of 1–100nm and a plethora of new technologies have emerged. In wound care, silver nanoparticles are used to aid wound healing as an antimicrobial agent, but also as an anti-inflammatory agent. The properties of silver nanoparticles differ from that of the material on a larger scale and their production can be controlled to give varied properties and characteristics that have different uses. These resultant properties are very important and differences in characterisation can alter their biological and physical attributes. All wound dressings have to undergo rigorous scrutiny around toxicity and safety when regulatory review is undertaken, yet some users still have concerns over long-term effects of silver nanoparticles in vivo. This review will address some of these concerns and reviews the current health and safety data associated with introduction of new products containing silver nanoparticles using Venus Ag dressings (SFM LTD, UK) as an example.

KEY WORDS   Nanoparticles of silver   Safety   Silver dressings   Toxicity

VAL EDWARDS-JONES PhD,CSci, FIBMS, Independent Microbiology Consultant, Essential Microbiology Limited

There were an estimated 3.8 million patients with a wound managed by the NHS in 2017/2018 at a cost of £8.3 billion (Guest et al, 2017). The cost to the patient and their quality of life is immense. Evidence has shown that there are wide variations in the care of people with chronic wounds, with many patients not receiving the correct assessment or a diagnosis on which to base decisions about their care (Guest et al, 2015; Gray et al, 2018). Delivering efficient and effective care to patients with a venous leg ulcer (VLU) requires collaborative working across specialist and community settings to tackle inequalities in care, improve outcomes, enhance productivity, and provide value for money.

KEY WORDS   Venous leg ulcer   Compression Reducing variation  UrgoKTwo  DR CAROLINE DOWSETT  Clinical Nurse Specialist  Tissue  Viability, East London   NHS  Foundation Trust; Independent   Nurse Consultant